Elements of the Municipal Public Security Secretariat of Juárez, Chihuahua, arrested a group of 15 people for creating a satirical mural of Mayor Cruz Pérez Cuéllar, for violations of civic justice. According to the police report, the individuals detained for painting graffiti on the walls at the intersection of Torres de San Luis Avenue and Las Torres Avenue, were apprehended on Saturday, April 11, following a citizen's report about several people drinking alcohol and making unauthorized paintings. Eleven men and four women were arrested and taken to municipal detention centers, among them were the urban artists Miguel “Mick” Martínez and “Chuchito Psy”. Mayor of Ciudad Juárez orders release of graffiti artists. Upon learning of the detention, Mayor Cruz Pérez Cuéllar ordered their release and stated that during his administration, all forms of expression against him have been respected. “Freedom of expression has limits, and one of those limits is respect for the dignity of the person, whoever they may be,” affirmed the Juárez mayor regarding the detention of this group identified for painting a satirical mural against him. The graffiti, which evoked the image of the mayor with animalistic features, was erased. Chuchito Psy shared a post on his social media referring to the erased mural with the superimposed phrase: “Here ‘freedom’ of expression died…”. Urban artist Mick Martínez did not make any publications about the satirical mural or his detention. “If you're in politics, you have to put up with it”: Cruz Pérez. Mayor Pérez Cuéllar asked the members of the Municipal Public Security Secretariat to treat citizens with respect and for protesters not to violate the law. He acknowledged being aware that if one is in politics, one must endure unpleasant situations. “I was in the city of Chihuahua attending an event when I was notified of the detention of this group of people, so I gave the instruction to release them,” he pointed out. This occurred after the civic judge handled the case and prioritized respect for the right to free expression.
