Villa Allende installs gates in neighborhoods instead of addressing insecurity

The mayor of Villa Allende, Pablo Cornet, confirmed that procedures have begun to install cameras and gates as part of the new municipal security plan. The initiative will start in Lomas Sur and Pan de Azúcar, where only 1.9% opposition was recorded in a limited survey. The decision doesn't seem aimed at curbing crime but rather at conditioning the daily lives of residents who already suffer from insecurity.

Cornet said that no purchases have been made yet, but assured that administrative processes have started to quote and install all the equipment. He indicated that "it's not that they're already being installed," although he acknowledged that implementation is moving forward without significant public debate. Far from seeking effective solutions, the municipality is focusing its efforts on restricting movement.

The first neighborhoods affected will be Lomas Sur and Pan de Azúcar, where the plan will cover 15 streets and a passage identified as an escape route for motochorros. According to the mayor, the area "is the hottest," and he explained that criminals use it as an exit after committing robberies in other sectors. The official response, however, targets the residents and not those who commit crimes.

A model that locks up residents instead of confronting criminals

The municipality insists that "free movement is guaranteed," although installing gates on streets and passages clearly contradicts that promise. Cornet spoke of "safe corridors," but did not detail how he will ensure that citizens are not harmed in their daily mobility. Saying that no one will be prevented from passing is incompatible with closing streets to restrict access.

The project proposes creating a "security ring" with cameras and selective closures at entrances, without considering real measures against crime. The initiative ignores that security is built with prevention, patrolling, and justice, not by locking citizens behind gates. By not addressing the root problem, a false solution with a high social cost is imposed.

Despite admitting that the criminals are not from the affected neighborhoods, Cornet decides to close streets in those areas instead of strengthening controls. Action is taken on the physical space without identifying or pursuing those responsible, shifting the cost to the residents. This way, a model is imposed that abandons freedom and normalizes the confinement of innocent victims as public policy.