# Thank goodness for the Guardia Nacional



## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

I live in a rather rural place - but civilization is encroaching. Literally every week it gets a little closer. It is amazing how quickly cinder block structures can be erected. And it it even easier to start a business by putting up a massive tarp (lona), start cooking on an open pit and turn on the (loud) music. Today is Sunday. Last weekend the music started perhaps noon on Thursday and stopped 5AM or so on Monday. We are not talking nice Mexican ballads or such. It is some sort of repetative heavy bass, electric music. and it is loud. It is SO loud that the legitamate businesses in the area (Oxxo, Tiendas 3B, etc) can't function. And it is very difficult to sleep. At this point I am perhaps 500-1000 feet above this and perhaps 0.5 to 1 mile away - but the music is as loud, let's say, as an outside amphitheatre in the US having a Goo Goo Dolls concert. You hear all the time about how Mexicans love their loud music. And you often read of expats complaining about the noise. Well - apparently not EVERY Mexican enjoys loud music, especially when they can't sleep.

This weekend has been heaven. There are lonas erected, some cooking done, some subdued music played but at 8PM or so nada. everything disappears like it was never there. The cleaning woman was here yesterday and I asked - what happened - no more loud music. She said - the national guard has arrived and put an end to it. Where I live police are not allowed. There are two pick ups that you see that make up the 'law'. Locals call them La Ronda. I once asked about them and the friend made a gesture where he bit his forearam - indicating the bite - or graft I guess.

I hope that the national guard put an outpost in town and stay permanently. In a way it kind of reminds me of my time living in Guatemala in my 20s - where there was a HEAVY military presence - standing on the rooftops with machine guns staring at the people walking in the streets. I've seen the guard driving around during the day in a convoy of say 3 hum-vees with someone standing in back with their hands on a mounted machine gun. If that is what it takes to get a decent nights sleep - let's have some more.


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