Miguel Hidaglo’s famous independence cry will ring out in the main plaza of Mazamitla on the evening of September 15 for the first time in four years.
Suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, the traditional ceremony was put on hold last year because of security concerns. One of Jalisco’s most popular provincial getaways, the mountain town of Mazamitla has been rocked by a series of violent incidents in recent years, as criminal organizations wage turf battles in this region located to the south of Lake Chapala.
In May of last year, tourists fled for cover as a shootout broke out in the city center, after which trucks and cars were set alight on roads leading into the town. “Holding massive public events at this time could put people at risk and would be an act of irresponsibility,” Mazamitla Mayor Jorge Magaña Valencia said in canceling the 2022 independence celebrations.
The panorama this year is completely different, the mayor said last week. “Since last December we have not had any incidents of insecurity. We have had a good economic reactivation in the municipality, and during the last holiday period there was almost 100 percent hotel occupancy.”
Between 20,000 and 30,000 visitors are expected in Mazamitla over the September 15-16 Independence Day weekend. The only change will be that, for logistical reasons, the traditional parade will be held on the morning of Friday, September 15, and not September 16.