Among the most marginalized groups in the city, windshield washers have traditionally been given free rein by authorities to scrape out a meager living from the streets.
But repeated complaints by established businesses and some motorists forced a police crackdown this week, mostly concentrated in the busy Santa Tere neighborhood and the downtown area. For the most part, officers have simply removed the windshield washers from the zones they are working and released them quickly without charge. However, at least nine were cited this week under municipal ordinances governing “free transit” and held in jail for 36 hours.
Many of the protesting workers said they belonged to a recognized labor union, the Unión de Lavacoches de Santa Tere. They insisted they were not drug addicts and that they dedicated their time exclusively to cleaning windshields.
Local police are also clamping down on “aparta lugares,” people who “reserve” free parking spaces for motorists and keep watch over vehicles in return for remuneration. This widespread practice is actually illegal, although until now authorities have usually turned a blind eye to it.