The municipal government of Oaxaca announced that it will regulate the use of the Guelaguetza candles, with the goal of preventing excessive alcohol consumption, as well as the improper handling of fireworks and road disruptions that have caused disturbances in the area.
For his part, the mayor of the capital, Raymundo Chagoya, recalled the accidents that have occurred during the festivities, such as the incident reported during the Guelaguetza parade in various districts in 2024. Six people, including tourists, were reported to have been burned when a bag of fireworks used for the bulls was accidentally ignited.
Likewise, another incident was reported, which arose from the unusual passage of a candle through downtown streets, which sparked violence between civilians and motorists.
Calendas to Pay Bond to Repair Damage
It was mentioned that an agreement has been reached in the city council to regulate the calendas, thus preventing them from continuing to cause problems and losing the purpose of the festival.
The mayor of Oaxaca said that, initially, the plan is to move forward on three routes, which will be accompanied by an ambulance, a Civil Protection brigade, and the protection of the Highway Police to prevent them from colliding with each other should they occur simultaneously.
“We are interested in organizing the calendas, with order without authoritarianism, so that the city does not collapse. Therefore, today we are seeking to ensure that all the calendas celebrated have permits and pay bonds for damages so that there are funds to repair any damage caused,” he stated.
In addition, he made it clear that the regulations will define the permits that will be granted for parish, traditional, wedding, student, and university calendas.
Excessive Use of Fireworks to Be Prevented
Additionally, the Governor of Oaxaca, Salomón Jara, announced that the use of fireworks will be restricted during the Guelaguetza celebrations. This follows the incident reported during the delegation parade, which was mentioned at the beginning of this article, in which both tourists and locals suffered burns.
In this regard, the Coordinator of Civil Protection and Risk Management, Manuel Maza, stated that the incident resulted from a sudden firework explosion, which was successfully controlled. However, measures will now be taken to prevent a repeat of the accident, which will lead to regulating the use of fireworks during celebrations held on public roads.
He also stated that there are risks because the city of Oaxaca is small and lacks emergency access roads, so an incident on central streets complicates the response of emergency services.
He also stated that the regulation prohibits carrying more than 500 milligrams of fireworks. Thus, efforts will be made to strictly regulate and prevent excessive use in street parades, thus serving as an ongoing prevention campaign.
He also announced that, from now on, emergency teams will be required to undergo training in burns and actions to contain fires caused by the use of fireworks, including carrying firefighting equipment and extinguishers.
Source: amp.milenio
