Chilpancingo, Mexico, Feb 13 (EFE).- In the midst of the crisis of violence in central Guerrero state, southern Mexico, residents of the municipality of Zitlala hit each other on Tuesday with bare fists as part of an ancestral ritual for rain and a good seasonal harvest.
Two men fight with bare fists on ‘Shrove Tuesday’ in the municipality of Zitlala, Mexico, on Feb. 13, 2024. EFE/ José Luis de la Cruz
On the main esplanade blood flowed, mixing with the liters of mezcal that the fighters consume before the fight, as a sedative to reduce the pain.
Mario Atianguis Jiménez has been fighting for 35 years, and although he says he does not the exact start date, it’s something ed down from grandparents and parents, and now takes place year after year, to ask for good rain for the sowing.
The event takes place every Shrove Tuesday when the residents of the municipality and nearby communities get into fist fights in the name of tradition.
“Here you feel adrenaline, but not fear. One fights with one another, but not out of resentment – it is with the intention of fighting to win. That is what we have in our thoughts – we are going to fight to win,” he told EFE.
In this peculiar ritual, men of all ages dance from their neighborhoods to the esplanade, which will be the ‘ring,’ dressed in black skirts and white blouses, characteristic of the area, although on this occasion there were fights between men without this attire.
In another aspect of history, from chroniclers, the fights date back to the independence of the Zitlalteca people, when tired of looting and abuse of their women, they disguised themselves to keep their enemies close and to be able to confront them.
This year the surveillance, which has been stepped up since 2015 due to the violence, was lax and with only municipality security in charge.
In Zitlala, which in Nahuatl means ‘place of stars,’ the contenders engage in bloody battles in the presence of hundreds of spectators. EFE
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