Breathe
By Nelly Segura
Throwing garbage and feces at a mass is not only an act of contempt; it is a blatant show of disdain towards traditions and the communities that keep them alive. What happened in the residential Park d'Luxe in Cuajimalpa, where neighbors threw garbage during the celebration of a mass in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe on Leopoldo Romano Street, is outrageous and portrays with crudeness the clash between uprooted modernity and local customs. How is it possible that people who decide to live in a community are not capable of respecting their roots? This act is the epitome of the lack of empathy that gentrification brings with it.
The phenomenon of gentrification not only expels the original inhabitants from their territories; it also destroys the cultural identity of the neighborhoods. In Cuajimalpa, Park d'Luxe symbolizes this problem. The new residents not only impose their lifestyle, but also seek to annihilate traditions that have been part of the social fabric of the community for years. Celebrations such as the mañanitas to the Virgin of Guadalupe are not simply religious acts; they are moments of union and cultural resistance.
On the other hand, in Benito Juarez, tension broke out in a completely different scenario, but with the same root of intolerance. The sonidera culture, recently recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico City, was violated in an operation by the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) during the preparation of a dance in Tacuba. What was supposed to be a space for celebration ended in a confrontation that left six people arrested and two police officers injured. The official narrative points to the "excessive use of force" by the sonideros, but the real question is: why are these cultural expressions still being repressed under the pretext of order?
Sonidera culture is much more than music and lights; it is identity, resistance and collective memory. To deny its place in public spaces is tantamount to denying Mexico City a fundamental part of its essence. While the neighbors of Tacuba fought to install their sound and keep a tradition alive, the authorities responded with helicopters and violence. Where is recognition when cultural heritage is confronted with the club of authority?
These two cases are a mirror of what we are losing as a society: respect for our roots and the ability to coexist in diversity. Modernity and urban development should not be excuses to erase what defines us. Traditions do not need permission to exist; they need respect and space to flourish. Disdain and violence towards them not only hurt communities, but also deprive us of a shared future, rich in identity and meaning.
It is not only about the guadalupanos in Cuajimalpa or the sonideros in Tacuba; it is about all of us. How we want to live and what we want to preserve. Mexico City is a mosaic of stories and traditions, and every time we allow one to be lost, we become poorer as a society. Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves: what legacy do we want to leave?
I am hopeful that next December 12 the mañanitas will resound in Leopoldo Romano's chapel and that the sonideros will dance again, summoned by the colorful engrudo posters in the streets. If not, we will have lost everything.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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