According to tradition, the more macabre and terrifying your costume is on Halloween night, the better, except in violent Sinaloa, whose authorities have instructed the population not to use masks, costumes of characters linked to organized crime, or weapons. plastic.
In northwest Mexico, Sinaloa has been plunged into a spiral of violence since September that has left dozens dead, following the arrest in the United States of drug trafficker Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, which sparked a fight between local gangs over control of the territory.
“Do not put on a costume, do not use plastic weapons, a mask or want to simulate a character,” the state Security Secretary, Gerardo Mérida, said in a press conference on Wednesday, referring to the state government’s recommendations to celebrate the anniversary on Thursday. Halloween night.
The official also suggested not going out “too late” on the street, something that in practice has already been happening for weeks in some areas of the state, where the population has applied a kind of night curfew, for fear of dying in the street. crossfire between criminal groups and deployed military personnel, more than 2,000.
Read: Sedena affirms that the Sinaloa Cartel is more violent after the arrest of ‘Chapitos’ and ‘El Mayo’
Since September 9, the day designated by the authorities as the beginning of the violent wave, until now, there have been at least two hundred homicides and more than 200 disappearances of people.
This is not the first time that these types of measures have been taken in Sinaloa, famous for being the cradle of the cartel of the same name and countless criminal leaders such as Zambada, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Rafael Caro Quintero or Amado Carrillo Fuentes, alias “The Lord of the Skies”.
Nor is it the only state where these kinds of initiatives have taken place due to high crime rates. Baja California and Sonora have also launched similar proposals in some municipalities. In Sinaloa, anyone who fails to comply with the provisions could be sanctioned by local authorities, Mérida explained.
Ultimately, what is sought is “not to apologize for the crime,” the official explained. And he justified the initiative with a famous proverb. “If you allow me to say it, with all due respect, at night all cats are brown.”
Tijuana bans masks on Halloween and Day of the Dead
The municipal authorities of Tijuana also prohibited this Thursday the use of masks or items that cover the face during the celebration of Halloween and Day of the Dead due to the situation of violence and insecurity that the city is experiencing.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Security, on previous occasions “in these celebrations, malicious people have taken advantage of the costumes to commit robberies and other crimes, hiding their identity under the mask.”
Municipal authorities indicated that those who violate this rule will be subject to considerable financial penalties and, if they do not pay, they could face arrest for a few hours.
Likewise, the security secretary informed the media that, to guarantee the safety of citizens, they will carry out a special operation during the afternoon of this Thursday and the early hours of Friday with a contingent of 450 police officers in the city.
The government secretary of the Tijuana City Council, Arnulfo Guerrero, shared with the media that “the Municipal Police must resort to its own criteria to determine which people to arrest, with the aim of avoiding conflicts between citizens.”
He added that “only on Revolución Avenue will the moderate use of masks be allowed, and there will be no tolerance for places where minors are found drinking intoxicating beverages, including bars in the area, shopping centers or private homes.”
The authorities estimated the attendance of up to 15,000 people on Revolución Avenue during the Halloween festivities, the best-known road in the tourist area of the city, where most people usually gather to show off their characteristic costumes for this holiday.
With information from Reuters and EFE
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