Mexican and foreign residents of Puerto Vallarta have rallied to support a restaurateur on the Puerto Vallarta boardwalk who was obliged to curtail live music at his eatery after an American couple who own an adjacent property filed a lawsuit citing breaches of noise regulations.
In October 2023, the Vallarta city council ordered Gaby’s Restaurant, a landmark on the malecon for 35 years, to stop playing both live and recorded music after acting on a ruling issued by a state administrative court.
Although Gaby’s owner, Julio Castillón, filed an injunction (amparo) and won a reprieve to play background music, he has still not been allowed to resume live music for diners.
This week, social media posts showed local residents joining a mariachi band playing outside the restaurant in a strong show of support for Castillón.
One U.S. resident who posted a video of the protest on Instagram wrote: “Dear Americans and Canadians, Mexico is not ours to try to change for our ‘comfort.’ If you cannot respect Mexicans, their culture, language and traditions, it is NOT the place for you.”
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