Amparos against the closure of Villa Allende: residents confront municipal abuse

Self-organized residents of Villa Allende have filed two writs of amparo against ordinance 1425, which imposes nighttime street closures. The measure, which restricts movement from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in several areas, was approved by the local ruling party to combat insecurity. However, opposition is growing due to its authoritarian, ineffective, and exclusionary nature.

The writs were filed by citizens who believe their constitutional rights, such as freedom of movement and equality before the law, are being violated. "Closing streets doesn't solve crime, but it does restrict residents' lives," argued Hugo Yagües, attorney and group spokesperson. They also claim that the ordinance was approved without dialogue or evidence supporting its effectiveness.

Arbitrary measures

The self-organized residents claim that since January they have requested a meeting with the mayor and collected more than 3,000 signatures. Despite these requests, the local executive never received them or included them in the discussion. "It's an institutional abuse that excludes those of us who experience the problem every day," said Yagües.

One of the harshest criticisms targets the "opposition registry," which only considers property owners with up-to-date service fees. Business owners, tenants, and workers are completely excluded. According to the residents, this undermines democratic participation and deepens the arbitrariness of the measure.

They also pointed out that the ordinance doesn't provide crime heat maps, nor statistics or analysis of the type of crime it aims to prevent. "Without data or a serious diagnosis, this is pure political window dressing," the attorney stated.

Insecurity can't be fought by locking residents in

Far from denying the problem of insecurity, the petitioners are promoting a Citizen Observatory based on evidence. They propose targeted measures, coordinated with security forces and developed alongside those truly affected. "The municipality improvises while residents want real and effective solutions," they stated.

The writs of amparo are already in the hands of the First Nomination Administrative Litigation Chamber. A conciliation hearing and precautionary measures are expected to be ordered. Meanwhile, nighttime closures remain in effect and are causing growing discontent.

A model they want to replicate in other cities?

The controversy isn't limited to Villa Allende: similar projects are being discussed in Córdoba Capital and other localities. Civil organizations warn of a pattern where insecurity is used as an excuse to restrict rights. "This isn't real security, it's punitive populism with no results," warned the self-organized group.