Guanajuato, México.- The government of Guanajuato, an entity that has been mired in a crisis of insecurity and violence for more than five years, this year will allocate more resources to organizing gastronomic festivals than to preventing crime.
The state government cut the resources allocated to security programs in Budget 2024 and multiplied those directed to tourist events.
This is contemplated in the Expenditure Budget for 2024, which includes an item of 65 million pesos for two programs that the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) will operate, an amount that is five times greater than the budget that the three prevention programs coordinated by the Ministry will receive. of Public Security of the State – between the three they add up to just 12.8 million pesos.
This means that for every peso that will be invested in prevention programs, five will go to tourism promotion: as if it were more important to attract visitors than to combat crime and antisocial behavior.
The most representative case is the Gastonomic Festivals program ‘Guanajuato ¡Si Sabe!’ which will have 25 million pesos. It is double what the Social Crime Prevention programs will receive; Neighborhood Safety and Business Unit – the three programs focused on the issue of safety.
Sectur keeps silent
It is unusual for such a large amount to be allocated to organize food festivals, since in the first five years of the six-year term, 5 million pesos were allocated for each year, on average. That is to say, its budget quintupled for the last year of the six-year term.
Since Wednesday, January 3, Periódico Correo asked the communication area of the Sectur to know why the budget for the gastronomic festivals multiplied, but after five days no response was obtained, despite insisting on the issue.
This is the 2024 budget for Guanajuato
| Tourism | |
| Gastronomic Festivals in Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe! | $ 25 000 000 |
| GTO Fund for the Promotion of Tourist Destinations | $ 40 190 156 |
| Total: | $ 65 190 156 |
| Public Security | |
| Social Crime Prevention Events | $ 8 000 000 |
| Neighborhood Safety | $ 3 742 200 |
| Entrepreneurial Unit | $ 1 120 392 |
| Total: | $ 12 862 592 |
It is a matter of priorities
The notable increase this year in the resources allocated to the Guanajuato Gastronomic Festivals ¡Si Sabe! It contrasts with the gradual reduction of the budget for prevention programs coordinated by the State Public Security Secretariat.
