A mayor in Mexico managed to evade arrest in a dramatic scene during his own inauguration ceremony, fleeing the event amidst chaos as police attempted to detain him.
Pedro Luis Hernández de Paz, newly appointed municipal president of Santo Tomás de los Plátanos in Mexico State, found himself at the center of a storm when officers moved in to arrest him at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Video footage from the audience captured the moment tensions boiled over, with a massive brawl breaking out on stage between law enforcement and members of the inauguration party.
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The scuffle grew so intense that the event’s backdrop was torn down, leaving attendees stunned.
Amid the disorder, a voice from the crowd shouted in defiance, “If you want to take him, take the whole town.”
Using the confusion to his advantage, Hernández de Paz made a swift escape, aided by several men in caps who helped him vanish into the crowd.
The failed arrest is part of Operation Enjambre, a coordinated initiative by state and federal authorities aimed at detaining multiple officials from various municipal administrations in the region.
These officials are allegedly tied to serious crimes, including corruption, extortion, express kidnappings, and homicide, according to reports by vknews24.
Adding to the intrigue, Pedro is married to the outgoing mayor, María del Rosario Matías Esquivel, a connection that appears to have earned him staunch support from local residents.
Santo Tomás de los Plátanos locals, fiercely protective of their mayor, openly opposed the police action.
In another clip from the scene, women were seen angrily yelling at passing police vehicles, their agitation clear as they sought to deter further intervention.
Hernández de Paz’s current location remains unknown, leaving authorities without a lead on his whereabouts as the community continues to rally behind him.
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SOURCE: Mayor avoids arrest after fleeing stage as police turn up at his own inauguration
