Chilpancingo officials are scrambling after new threats from an organized crime group put the city’s long-running Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in doubt. Local leaders say they’re weighing whether to cancel the events altogether, a move that would halt what is considered the oldest continuous fair in Mexico.
City authorities confirmed that large banners appeared across the state capital over the past two weeks, warning residents that holiday activities would face violent reprisals if they went ahead. The warnings specifically targeted the San Mateo Christmas and New Year’s Fair, which was set to mark its 200th anniversary later this month.
Mayor Gustavo Alarcón has urged the federal government to step in with additional security, saying the scale of the threats requires outside support. The fair traditionally opens Dec. 21 with the Paseo del Pendón, a procession featuring regional dances from across Guerrero, followed by Christmas, New Year’s and Three Kings’ Day events that trace back to historic celebrations for St. Matthew the Apostle.
The messages on the banners claimed the fair “is only used to raise money for Los Ardillos,” a criminal group long active in the region. The gang has previously been linked to former mayor Norma Otilia Hernández, who led the city from 2021 to 2024. Los Ardillos is reportedly led by Celso Ortega Jiménez, the brother of a state legislator, reports Mexico News Daily.
Political instability in the city has been high. Hernández’s successor, Alejandro Arcos, was assassinated last year just six days after taking office. Authorities arrested the city’s security chief, Germán Reyes, in the case, while federal officials suggested Los Ardillos ordered the killing to block Arcos from ending an alleged deal between the gang and the prior administration.
Investigators now believe the latest threats may be coming from Los Tlacos, a rival gang locked in a long-running struggle against Los Ardillos for control of Chilpancingo’s criminal and political networks. The new banners also accused Mayor Alarcón’s son, Saúl, of helping transfer money to Los Ardillos and warned that any attempt to set up holiday structures “will be burned down.”
Violence around the fair isn’t new. Last Christmas Eve, the fair board president, Martín Ramírez Ruiz, was gunned down outside a church during the festivities.
City authorities confirmed that large banners appeared across the state capital over the past two weeks, warning residents that holiday activities would face violent reprisals if they went ahead. The warnings specifically targeted the San Mateo Christmas and New Year’s Fair, which was set to mark its 200th anniversary later this month.
Mayor Gustavo Alarcón has urged the federal government to step in with additional security, saying the scale of the threats requires outside support. The fair traditionally opens Dec. 21 with the Paseo del Pendón, a procession featuring regional dances from across Guerrero, followed by Christmas, New Year’s and Three Kings’ Day events that trace back to historic celebrations for St. Matthew the Apostle.
The messages on the banners claimed the fair “is only used to raise money for Los Ardillos,” a criminal group long active in the region. The gang has previously been linked to former mayor Norma Otilia Hernández, who led the city from 2021 to 2024. Los Ardillos is reportedly led by Celso Ortega Jiménez, the brother of a state legislator, reports Mexico News Daily.
Political instability in the city has been high. Hernández’s successor, Alejandro Arcos, was assassinated last year just six days after taking office. Authorities arrested the city’s security chief, Germán Reyes, in the case, while federal officials suggested Los Ardillos ordered the killing to block Arcos from ending an alleged deal between the gang and the prior administration.
Investigators now believe the latest threats may be coming from Los Tlacos, a rival gang locked in a long-running struggle against Los Ardillos for control of Chilpancingo’s criminal and political networks. The new banners also accused Mayor Alarcón’s son, Saúl, of helping transfer money to Los Ardillos and warned that any attempt to set up holiday structures “will be burned down.”
Violence around the fair isn’t new. Last Christmas Eve, the fair board president, Martín Ramírez Ruiz, was gunned down outside a church during the festivities.
