Hours after Diego Jiménez, the founder of the Axe Ceremonia festival, spoke out about the tragedy in Bicentenario Park where two photographers died, Luis Avilés, the head of press, issued his statement. Through his Instagram profile and that of his company 'Hits Futuros', the manager of emerging artists shared a communiqué in which he denied covering up the accident at Axe Ceremonia. This came after a metal structure collapsed in Bicentenario Park, killing Berenice Giles Rivera and Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández, photographers for Mr.Indie, and the festival continued. What did Luis Avilés say about the tragedy at Axe Ceremonia? In his statement, the personal manager for Macario Martinez shared that his duties for the Ceremonia festival focused on finding media for event coverage, managing accreditations, and organizing interviews. He also 'assisted media outlets that were covering the event in case they had access issues; and provided the facilities, materials, and details to cover the event.' However, Luis Avilés stated that he had no involvement in informing the public about what happened, explaining that his role was not the festival's official communication and that he did not receive details, so he could not comment. The head of press relations also said: 'On no occasion did we omit or hide information or details. We did not have more information to share than what was given to us.' Similarly, Luis Avilés denied that the internet in the press area had been shut down after the accident: 'At certain moments during the day, the signal was intermittent (...) it was not in our hands,' he said. Following this, the press coordinator denied responsibility for the deaths of Berenice Giles Rivera and Miguel Ángel Rojas: 'This accusation is serious, without proof, and totally false.' Luis Avilés also said he has received death threats because of this situation and added: 'Pain can awaken many emotions, but using a tragedy as an excuse to seek revenge for personal reasons does not reflect what truly matters.' He is not the only one to have spoken out; after protests over the deaths of Berenice and Miguel Ángel at Ceremonia, Diego Jiménez, the festival's founder, lamented the events and said he is cooperating with the authorities. What happened between Macario Martinez and Luis Avilés? Despite this statement, shortly after, Macario Martinez, the singer who went viral on social media, shared that he had ended all professional ties with Luis Avilés. 'Due to the events of last weekend, I have decided to separate Luis Avilés from my work team, who served as personal manager since January of this year,' he wrote on his Instagram account. The interpreter of 'Sueña lindo, corazón' said he approached the founder of 'Hits Futuros' because he believed he could guide and support him, and he had no negative references about Luis Avilés. Nevertheless, he expressed his outrage over what happened at Axe Ceremonia: 'What happened at Axe Ceremonia was negligence and something that should never have happened. It highlights the precariousness and lack of humanity (...) As artists, we must demand safe spaces and dignified treatment for all people.' In addition to him, the Mexican pop band Valgur, who also worked with 'Hits Futuros', decided to end their relationship with the company after the accident at Axe Ceremonia. 'Throughout our musical journey, we have collaborated with different agencies, including Hits Futuros (since 2023). As a group, we have decided to put an end to our plans in collaboration with this one,' they wrote. For now, the Prosecutor's Office of Justice of Mexico City is investigating these events, while the Miguel Hidalgo borough suspended the Axe Ceremonia festival after the accident on Saturday, April 5.
