Farmers in Culiacan, Mexico, have initiated a three-day airport blockade to protest depressed prices for their corn and wheat harvests. This action has resulted in numerous flight cancellations within Sinaloa state. While the blockade has disrupted travel, it hasn't garnered significant international attention to the farmers' plight.

Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha suggested the farmers shift their protest from the airport to the warehouses or offices of Cargill, a major U.S. food corporation. This recommendation sparked criticism from an American expatriate group in Mexico. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated he wouldn't intervene in the dispute, which began on Tuesday, and accused large-scale farmers of exploiting a subsidy program intended for small farmers, suggesting political motivations behind the protests.

While assuring that authorities would avoid using force to resolve the airport takeover, López Obrador affirmed his stance, saying, "We are not going to give in." Governor Rocha's earlier comments, however, advocating for targeting private grain warehouses belonging to companies like Gruma, Cargill, and Minsa, drew sharper criticism. Gruma and Minsa are Mexican flour and corn flour producers, respectively. Rocha's statement, "Instead of taking over the airport, let them take over the warehouses of the big industrial groups... I will go with them," prompted concern from American businesses operating in Mexico.

Larry Ruben, leading the American Society in Mexico, an expat civic group, condemned the governor's remarks as "highly irresponsible" and a potential incitement to criminal activity. Cargill, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has not yet issued a public response. This situation arises amidst prior criticism of López Obrador's administration for seizing assets of private and foreign companies.