Violence is real. The two main local papers try to outdo each other with graphic photos of people injured or killed in accidents or assassinations. Very shocking to see public displays of such carnage. It seems that the option to be violent is somehow more likely here - the potential for violence seems closer to the surface (Since writing this Dorothy has noted that my perspective is limited to a basically white surburban reality and someone from the inner city in the US might have a very different take on this.)
Two days ago we were in the zocalo (town plaza) where a left-wing group was having a conference under a huge tent. Walking around the perimeter of this tent were men with "palos" (sticks) and machetes. One of the machete wielders gave me a hard glance that make it clear this was no game.
The following day's newspaper said that the group had "retained" six federal police officers who were photographing the event. There were pictures of the uniformed policemen being "escorted" to a location several blocks away from the event where they were released. The event's organizers were quoted as saying this was a deliberate attempt by the government to provoke a violent response.
Here's a picture I took last year of a group of men carrying "palos" confronting a motocyclist who was attempting to go down a street they were blockading.
I've been sick with a cold for the past few days and this is probably coloring the tone of this post. It's just that in retrospect all I've written about this trip so far seems so predictable and, frankly, boring. To me any way. I feel compelled to try to strip away some of the "niceness" and try to write about things that feel more real, compelling and challenging. We'll see.
Feeling a bit bettter today and Dorothy and I are on our way out the door to experience another day in this complex, beautiful city. Adelante!
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