Cuernavaca bans whole corn sales during Independence Day festivities

Authorities in Cuernavaca, Morelos, have issued a temporary restriction on the sale of whole corn on the cob (elotes) during the Independence Day celebrations on September 15. The measure applies to the city's historic center between 17:00 and 19:00 hours, lasting until the conclusion of the official 'Grito de Independencia' ceremony.

The ban is a preventive security measure intended to stop the food from being used as projectiles toward the official podium or the crowd. While whole corn on a stick is prohibited, the sale of 'esquites' (corn kernels served in a cup) remains fully permitted.

This regulation is based on a historical precedent from September 15, 1994, when an attendee threw a corn cob at the podium during the ceremony led by then-governor Jorge Carrillo Olea. Although the incident did not cause physical injury, it resulted in institutional discomfort and led to the implementation of similar restrictions starting in 1995. Local Civil Protection and Commerce departments will deploy inspectors to ensure compliance among semi-fixed vendors.