A common political tool in Mexico is a protest march. It is so common in Mexico City, that downtown shop owners expect their streets to be blockaded a large part of the year.
Generally, and specifically in the provinces of Mexico, a protest is a political act, paid for by a political agent supported by "under classes" promised some bags of cement, a few chickens and a threat to have their welfare programs rescinded for failure to participate. Political achievement in Mexico is related to who can make the most political noise. That is why almost daily, in this beautiful country, a highway is blocked to travellers because of the perception of some outside malfeasance.
A relatively new wrinkle on this sort of protest was the recent shutting down of fresh water supplies to southern Veracruz by mostly indigenous peoples, because of perceived failures of state infrastructure projects.
Beautiful downtown Catemaco has now joined the rank of protesters, because its prince (alcalde) is allegedly lacking money to maintain his princedom (ayuntamiento) because of over spending and is now desperately seeking promised state public works, which are known to clandestinely add 10 to 20% of their cost to a local leader's portfolio.
Apparently the local prince misunderstood the state's king (gobernador) who, as customary, had promised a boat motor and four chickens for every pot in Catemaco, but whose office is also customarily known never to deliver on promises.
As an example, it took 26 years of promises to pave a local road from Catemaco to the beach.
So now, the local prince, who used who knows whose funds, has engaged various bus companies to transport people from the beautiful uptown Catemaco area for a free visit to the state capital, including free lunches and perhaps a bag of cement to keep warm in the cold temperatures of Xalapa.
The intent is to make so much noise that the possibly embarrassed king of Veracruz will throw a bone to the Catemaco prince so that he can hopefully say he was "promised" that a mile of lake front or other dirt road would be paved.
On their way, these troubadors blocked the federal highway from Veracruz to Coatzacoalcos. This created many more loyal supporters among local drivers and foreign tourists who allegedly joined in the lament of the local ayuntamiento .
Some of the local brujo (witch) population, or at least the ones aligned with the princedom, have also joined this protest and are prepared to draw spells on anyone standing in the way of this protest. (The last protest was welcomed with tear gas).
The king became upset at these happenings and sent troups of his black and white police cars to intercept the merry troubadors. Frightened by the thought of going to jail most of the party makers decided to walk home and left the prince with a handful of lackals, and 22 mostly empty buses.
So much for that supposed brujo magic!
