Saturday, November 2, 2024

Residents bring down drone believing it was spreading COVID-19

Residents of Soledad Atzompa, Veracruz, were alarmed to see a drone passing over their area, so alarmed that they brought down the unmanned aircraft, destroyed it, took some state employees hostage and set fire to five government vehicles.

It appears that the residents were moved to aggression by the belief that the drone was spreading COVID-19.

In reality, the aircraft belonged to the state Public Security Ministry (SSP) and was brought in by the state search commission to look for hidden graves in Soledad Atzompa, a municipality in the mountainous central region of the state.

But to the furious locals, drones were not a familiar sight and the assurances of government personnel failed to inspire confidence. After destroying the drone, residents took state search commission employees hostage and when more state officials arrived to control the situation, their vehicles were set on fire.

“Authorities of this ministry initiated dialogue with the dissenting residents, which concluded at 9 p.m. when police withdrew from the area,” the SSP said.

The state search commission employees were then released and taken for medical attention.

Community and municipal leaders are to meet with Governor Cuitláhuac García next week, to ask that any government officials with business in the area make their presence known beforehand to avoid future “miscommunications.” The leaders said the state search commission gave no indication that they would be in the area, nor that they would be flying drones.

According to Sixto Cabrera González, a Náhuatl poet and translator from the area, the local residents are peaceful but no longer willing to tolerate having their rights violated. He said the unfortunate events could have been avoided if the government had been open about its activities.

With reports from El Universal and El Sol de Orizaba

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
A portrait of Ernesto Zedillo

Former President Zedillo slams Sheinbaum’s judicial overhaul in new op-ed

9
President Sheinbaum is on the wrong side of a constitutional crisis, the former Mexican president argued in a Washington Post essay this week.
Two members of Los Tigres del Norte play guitar and accordion

Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte rally for Harris in Arizona

1
The legendary norteño band played a Harris campaign event Thursday in Arizona that was aimed at getting Latinos out to vote in the Nov. 5 election.
A paper mache dog skeleton sits on a bed of marigolds at a Day of the Dead altar in Mexico City.

Remembering man’s best friend: Mortuary services for pets on the rise in Mexico

1
Professional mortuary services and dedicated altars for pets are becoming more common across the country.