A Mob of Locals Tries To Overrun Restaurants&Bars

Well, the craziness continues in San Pedro! I heard from my friends who are there that there was a large group of locals who went around to all the bars and restaurants at 10 or 11pm, demanding that they close. Apparently, customers were still eating dinner. The Mayor, with a small minority of support (the town has something like 13,000 people), is going to try to pass a law that makes bars and restaurants close by 11pm. Many of the locals make their money off of tourism- whether they own businesses, sell OJ or veggies to the restaurants, make jewelry and clothing- so most of the locals realize this is extreme. But as we know from the past, majority does not always rule. Especially like in this case, when the minority believes that Christian Evangelism will solve the problems of their socio-economic infrastructure.

Now, cleaning up drugs from town to curb rising crack addictions is reasonable. But going from business to business, vigilante-style (vigilante is Guatemala’s favorite style, by the way), harassing proprietors and customers…. this can only lead to trouble. There have been COUNTLESS hotels, tiendas, and restaurants built buy locals, and if these businesses do not make money off of tourism, many people will become impoverished. Not to mention, this vigiliantism is impeading on people's rights (the right of Guatemalan citizens and permanent residents to conduct business within the guidelines of a capitalist system). Hopefully this ebb will begin to flow back to a sane equilibrium.

**I HAVE INCLUDED SOME PICTURES FROM MY FRIEND's FACEBOOK. HE IS A RESTAURANT/BAR OWNER IN TOWN for perhaps a decade.



(Regarding top picture, as written by bar/restaurant owner Mike. This is outside of his bar/restaurant: " These guys were milling around after already closed. I opened the door to get look. They yelled at me to close and turn of lights, etc... The bastards already closed us!! Threw out 100 paying customers. They told me to "go home gringo!" After the next picture they stormed my door, beat the hell out of it, threw a rock at the window where I was and then emptied an entire canister of pepper spray!!")