MEXICO: Indigenous groups in Mexico beat each until they bleed as part of a carnival celebration

Record ID: 303772

  • Title: MEXICO: Indigenous groups in Mexico beat each until they bleed as part of a carnival celebration
  • Date: 10th February 2008
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MEN FIGHTING LARGE CROWD WATCHING MEN FIGHTING MAN CLEANING WOUND (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TOWN MAYOR, CESAR CASTRO, SAYING: "This date is awaited by everyone so that this event can take place, but before it takes place those who take part must have be involved in a dispute, to avoid them coming to this event to vent their frustrations. No, this event is purely a tradition and it came about, it is written somewhere, that it was an invasion of the Coahuixcas that came here to Zitlala and they expelled the inhabitants and kept the women." ELDERLY MAN FIGHTING ELDERLY MAN CLEANING HIS WOUNDS WITH TEQUILA MEN FIGHTING
  • Embargoed: 25th February 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA1XDX3OU72TOZK4Q9R1L5BHUVF
  • Story Text: Hundreds of indigenous people in the Mexican state of Guerrero celebrated the start of an annual carnival on Tuesday (February 05) in a peculiar fashion - by throwing punches at each other until they bleed.
    Young and elderly men and even boys of indigenous nahuas (pron.
    na-guas) from the community of Zitlala fight against each other for hours and dress in straw hats, red bandanas, large shirts and skirts to do so.
    The celebrations kick-off with a loud band playing while the participants whisk around the main square, parading to the beat of drums and trumpets.
    Some prepare to fight by wrapping their wrists in cloth bands.
    As some wear "luchador" (wrestling) masks, the punch-up begins.
    The fights are organised in pairs between band members from two neighbourhoods called San Francisco and San Mateo. As fists fly, a large crowd observed the action and cheer on the combatants.
    Some blows were pretty fierce, causing men's faces to bleed. The fight stops once one of the fighters gets tired or gives up.
    The town mayor, Cesar Castro, told Reuters that legend has it that the indigenous people of Coahuixcas (pron. coa- wis- kas), invaded the town of Zitlala (pron. sea -tla - la) and kept the women. The men of Zitlala dressed as women in order to deceive and beat the enemy.
    Castro said that this was purely a tradition and hard feelings must be kept at bay to ensure clean and fair fights.

    "This date is awaited by everyone so that this event can take place, but before it takes place those who take part must not have been involved in a dispute, to avoid them coming to this event to vent their frustrations. No, this event is purely a tradition and it came about, it is written somewhere, that it was an invasion of the Coahuixcas that came here to Zitlala and they expelled the inhabitants and kept the women,"
    Elderly men also fight against each other and some clean their wounds with Tequila.
    As women with small children witnessed the event, the day ended in peace with contenders shaking hands afterwards, proof that there are no hard feelings in the end.
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