On Saturday March 5, the Mexican league match between Querétaro and Atlas de Guadalajara turned into a street fight, with violent clashes between supporters of both sides leaving twenty-six injured, ten of them in serious condition and three in critical condition. “The darkest day for Mexican football”, headlined El Universal. Mexican justice was quick to make the first arrests of the alleged perpetrators of violence at the Corregidora stadium.
Ten people were thus arrested and placed in pre-trial detention on the basis of an arrest warrant on the grounds of attempted homicide, violence during sporting events and glorifying the crime.
The Querétaro police carried out 21 searches carried out in 19 neighborhoods in the localities of Querétaro, but also El Marqués, Colón and San Juan del Río. During these raids, 22 mobile phones, 82 clothes in the colors of the local team and 4 pairs of tennis shoes (some of which were possibly bloody) and various objects were seized.
According to prosecutors, 583 images, 78 videos including those from the stadium’s CCTV cameras and more than a thousand messages were analyzed in order to arrest the suspects. The latter, all male, were transferred to San José El Alto prison, where they must be quickly brought before the judicial authority.
Those assaulted are asked to come forward and cooperate in the investigation by reporting to the Specialized Homicide Investigation Unit.
At the time of the events, which occurred in the 63rd minute, Querétaro was leading 1-0 against Atlas, the outgoing champions of the last opening tournament. The match never resumed and all the meetings which were to take place on Sunday March 6 for the 9th day of the championship have been adjourned.
“Those responsible for the lack of security measures in the stadium will be punished in an exemplary manner,” explained the president of the Mexican Football League, Mikel Arriola. “Fifa joins the Mexican Football Federation and Concacaf in condemning this barbaric incident and encouraging local authorities to act swiftly against those responsible. Our thoughts go out to all those who have suffered the consequences ”, had for its part reacted the international federation.
“What happened fills me with pain, shame and a lot of rage, said the governor of the state of Querétaro, Mauricio Kuri, deploring the crying lack of security personnel. I don’t have words strong enough to condemn the violence, the abuse and the absurdity of what happened. »
