Ceasefire in Mazatlán: Chronicle of a wartime Carnival

There was no time to lose. We were running late to the Alejandro Sanz concert, which followed the crowning of the princess of the 2025 Mazatlán Carnival. Luckily, we found parking only four blocks away from the venue. We got out of the car and began walking quickly. A few meters away from our parking spot, we ran into a group of heavily armed state police in tactical gear, with two extended cab pickups and a Black Mamba SandCat. The armored personnel carrier looked like a battle tank.

I approached the masked police, who were chatting outside a house in the residential area, and asked permission to take a photo in front of the armored vehicle. The officers went quiet and looked at each other before one responded: “Yes, but don’t show the serial number.”

Thirty minutes later, we got into the concert. Despite being an international artist and winner of more than 20 Latin Grammys, Alejandro Sanz wasn’t able to fill the venue, even after organizers offered a two-for-one discount due to low ticket sales.

A different kind of Carnival

The public’s absence was the result of the ongoing crisis of violence in Sinaloa. More than six months into a fierce war between the Sinaloa Cartel factions known as Los Chapitos and Los Mayitos, there have been 913 intentional homicides and 1242 people kidnapped, according to the Executive Office of Sinaloa’s State Public Security System (Sesesp). In turn, the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum has detained 899 people in Sinaloa and has confiscated 112.8 metric tons of drugs across the country, according to the Security Ministry (SSPC).

The show must go on, but what kind of show would it be? The Mazatlán Carnival has been staged since 1898 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. This year’s edition was marred by multiple controversies, including the crowning of Ángela Salazar, age nine, as the 2025 Carnival Princess. For years, Mazatlecos have complained that the crown has gone to the contestant who raises the most funds — a record 4,293,815 pesos in the case of little Ángela — and that where the money goes remains a mystery.

Then Grupo Firme canceled their show because of death threats, followed by Jorge Medina and Josi Cuen, who canceled just 24 hours before they were scheduled to perform the Carnival’s opening show. However, Mazatlán Mayor Estrella Palacios and Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya announced that the Carnival would continue and announced a new program of artists to replace the canceled shows. Their announcement was overshadowed by the arrest of four armed civilians in the Hotel Zone on the first day of Carnival. A handgun, three long guns, 11 full magazines and two bulletproof jackets were seized. The heavy military presence in the city and along the highways confirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining peace, whatever the cost.

Sights set on Sinaloa

The government of Rocha Moya announced that over 3,000 security agents would be present to protect the city during Carnival. What better way to celebrate the joy of Carnival than with a security deployment worthy of a major conflict zone?

While the Sinaloa government vaunted the party, the tension between Mexico and the Trump administration in the United States grew. Three months into his second term, Trump has placed tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, blaming them for the deadly fentanyl overdose crisis in the U.S. — the same fentanyl that has been found in Sinaloa narco-laboratories.

On top of that, the Trump administration designated the Sinaloa Cartel and five other Mexican cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.” Adding to the tension, on Feb. 4 an RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane belonging to the U.S. Air Force flew around the Baja Peninsula and into the Gulf of California, passing along the coast of Sinaloa.

On the morning of Feb. 27, as Mazatlán prepared for the first day of Carnival, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the historic transfer of 29 prisoners from Mexico to the United States, a gesture of good faith towards that country’s leaders.

The Sinaloan government’s operations to prevent any outbreak of violence practically converted Mazatlán into a fortress. The party had to continue so, as we say in Sinaloa, fierro pariente — let’s go.

Dancing in the streets, keeping an eye out for danger

An hour into the Alejandro Sanza concert, there was a pause in the music. Sanz called out to the audience.

“Pa’ fuera lo malo” (“Out with the bad energy”), the singer yelled repeatedly as the stage lights painted the stadium red. Was it planned? I’m not sure, but he appeared to be aware that he was giving a performance in a violent area.

The music resumed and the public continued to sing along. But the concert didn’t end with the force it had started with. Despite the excellent musicians onstage with him, Sanz sang with just a piano. After the last song, we waited to see if there would be another, but that was it. Sanz had left the stage and didn’t return. A weak finish, but what else could we expect from a concert with 2-for-1 tickets? As we left, the National Guard, carrying high-caliber weapons, pointed the way out. We walked back to the car. The state police had already left.

The spirit of Carnival was still alive, but the general insecurity, the troops in the streets and their armored tactical vehicles made us wonder to what point it was possible to keep celebrating in such a tense environment. It’s been six months since the start of the narco-war in Sinaloa and the economic fabric of the region is irreparably damaged: according to journalist Marcos Vizcarra, Sinaloa has lost 12,000 jobs since the war began.

The ephemeral joy that surrounded the city has faded, the tourists have returned home and nightlife has died down. However, the marches led by mothers and family members of the disappeared continue to grow. I live with fear in my city. The army patrols the streets and my only souvenir of this year’s Carnival is a photo with an armored vehicle ready for war.

This story was translated by Mexico News Daily senior news editor Rose Egelhoff.