Mexico City looks to rein in street drinking after massive World Cup party
Key takeaways
- The next morning, Reforma Avenue — one of the city’s main arteries — was littered with rubbish, and many of its yellow cempasuchil flowers had been trampled over.
- “We will keep insisting that fans have fun but without excessive alcohol consumption,” Cravioto said.
- In Boston, another World Cup host city, Scottish fans, known as the “Tartan Army”, drank such vast quantities of beer after Scotland’s team beat Haiti 1-0 at the city stadium that several bars reported running dry.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Mexico’s victory against South Korea saw massive street celebrations, with fans dressed in green El Tri jerseys or wearing colourful Lucha Libre masks and dancing in the rain, waving flags, singing anthems and blowing on vuvuzelas.
The next morning, Reforma Avenue — one of the city’s main arteries — was littered with rubbish, and many of its yellow cempasuchil flowers had been trampled over. Authorities collected some 40 tonnes of waste around the historic centre.
Mexico City’s government secretary Cesar Cravioto told a news conference on Friday that part of the government’s duty of care during the massive football event is prevention, and this involves controlling illegal sales of alcohol on the streets.