About 120 athletes, trainers and sports officials gathered outside the headquarters of the federal sports agency Conade on Monday to protest against delays in salary payments.

Efraín Mora, vice president of the Mexican Paralympic Committee, told the newspaper El Universal that coaches and administrators have not been paid for months.

“There were about 120 of us at the protest,” he said. “It’s been 10 months that trainers and administrators haven’t been paid, and that’s why the presidents of the federations, athletes and family members got together to demand our salaries.”

Mora said the total debt is around 6 or 7 million pesos (US $306,000 to $357,000).

The protest started around 10:00am on Monday, and ran until 1:30pm, when Conade official Israel Benítez agreed to meet with the protesters.

Mora said that Benítez promised the salaries will be paid by October 18.

“If they don’t follow through, we’ll be back at the Conade,” he said. “We’re also thinking of going directly to President López Obrador at the National Palace to explain our case to him.”

Source: El Universal (sp)