At a meeting in a Paseo de Montejo hotel, a hundred residents of Santa Ana and the Historical Center blasted the municipal authority for granting indiscriminately the authorization to open premises that broadcast recorded and live music.
In addition to vibration affecting the adjoining properties, the bars attract crowds that congest neighborhoods with patrons’ vehicles, while residents see their spaces occupied by the night owls.
Residents complained of bar patrons who also leave as traces of their passage through the neighborhood urine and vomit as well as garbage.
According to some of the foreign women who live in the area, the worst factor is that after the bars “close” at 4 a.m., inside the music continues, and this has been constantly complained about without any response from city officials so far.
Resident Paolo Salles highlighted the case of a neighbor who has a son with autism who must be tied in his hammock so that he will not fall and get hurt due to the noise that is generated in a bar that adjoins the patio. He said it opened its doors less than two years ago, causing the zone to lose completely the tranquility that it had.
Another resident who took the microphone during this meeting attended by Merida’s director of Urban Development, Aref Karan Espósitos, said he has a four-year-old girl who cannot sleep, because the wall of her room adjoins the stage on which the bands play.
He said they had to rent their home and leave the place.
“I did not have anything left to do, they ignored me, they did not respect my most basic rights,” said this person who asked that authorities take note and listen, and take measures to fix this problem that affects hundreds of neighbors who live in the Historical Center.
At that point, the president of the Hotel Association of Yucatan, Héctor Navarrete Medina, intervened to try to calm tempers and suggest the establishment of roundtables to be attended by affected parties.
But Navarrete Medina was interrupted several times by the aggrieved residents who raised the problem they have because they can not rest properly at night.
“We want to know what is going to be done with this problem today, because my right to sleep is being violated, my dignity, it turns out that barely at four in the morning the music ends and at 6 they are already doing sound tests for the races promoted by Conade in the Paseo de Montejo, it is an unbearable situation,” said one of the residents present.
Another foreign woman said that on 53rd street between 54 and 56 there is a place called La Pastoral del Amor which serves 17 people who have emotional problems and that due to the noise of the nearby bars, the nuns who care for them have to use sleeping pills and tranquilizers.
“And still they wanted to open another bar in front,” said the woman who, together with her companions, demanded that no more permits be given.
In his speech the director of Urban Development tried to explain how the procedure works, when a woman reproached him.
“It’s not a problem only of Cristiane, of Pim, Irina, Ana, Paolo, Javier and Mario, but of all the residents who are not here because they are afraid of reprisals or they do not feel comfortable talking in public, but that we will continue fighting for our right to a peaceful life until we get satisfaction,” said another of the women present who announced that they are preparing future actions to hold the authorities accountable.
They emphasize, officials have not responded to their repeated demands.
Finally, it was agreed that within a period of less than five days, the authority will respond
in writing to the cases that are raised to the email todossomosmerida@gmail.com.
By Punto Medio / Manuel Pool Moguel, Fernando Galaz
