On Sunday, May 4, two minors celebrated a wedding in the indigenous community of San Pedro Cuitlapan, in the municipality of Tlacoachistlahuaca, Guerrero. Although their exact ages are unknown, neither of them has reached adulthood. During the celebration, videos and photographs of the event circulated on social media, showing the couple dressed as newlyweds dancing the waltz surrounded by family and guests.
According to local reports, the minors were between 12 and 15 years old, although there is no official data to confirm their ages. The party included music and the consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is important to highlight that child marriage has been prohibited in Guerrero since 2002, with reforms pushed during the current state administration. The Penal Code establishes penalties of 5 to 15 years in prison and fines for those who celebrate, request, or induce a marriage with minors.
Roberto Barreto Bohórquez, head of the Technical Coordination of the State Civil Registry System, clarified that no civil marriage or legal act took place during this wedding. He explained that it was a celebration organized by the families to acknowledge that the young people are dating, and they may have promised to marry in the future, insisting that there was no formal marriage act. Barreto emphasized that no Civil Registry official participated in the event and that if a legal marriage had taken place, the municipal president should have been notified to take measures. He acknowledged that some indigenous communities maintain symbolic ceremonies based on their uses and customs, but pointed out that these have no legal validity and cannot be recognized through civil means.
