Letters, October 06, 2006
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Editor,

The once beautiful Historic Center of San Miguel was held hostage last weekend by an estimated crowd of 50,000 drunken, lawless youths who had come to town to witness the 33rd annual running of the bulls.

From 12pm on Friday until 12pm on Sunday the center of town was under siege, with the tacit approval of the authorities who had conveniently fled town for the weekend, and subjected [those remaining] to all manner of degrading, humiliating, illegal treatment— including urinating in public streets and private doorways, drinking liquor from glass containers in public, and throwing tons of trash and debris on public sidewalks and streets. Residents such as me and legitimate tourists went out at their own peril (two people were shot) as the inebriated youths were not only rowdy but had no respect for any authority.

It is a shameful comment on the state of our civil authorities to allow this to happen in a “National Historic Monument” that claims to be trying to become a “World Heritage Site.” How can San Miguel hope to be designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO when it gives carte blanche to lawless debauchery?


Robert Haas