Mexico: Eight people and three companies charged in Axe Ceremonia deaths

Axe Ceremonia Miguel Ángel Rojas Berenice Giles Mexico City involuntary manslaughter

A judge has linked eight individuals and three companies to criminal proceedings for the involuntary manslaughter of photojournalists Miguel Ángel Rojas and Berenice Giles. The victims died on April 5, 2025, when a decorative structure mounted on a scissor lift collapsed during the Axe Ceremonia festival at Parque Bicentenario in Mexico City.

Investigations by the Mexico City Prosecutor's Office revealed that the lift was used improperly for loads it was not designed to carry and that the structure was not included in the event's official Civil Protection program. The companies facing charges include Operadora Eclectic, La Agencia de los Socios, and O. N. Producciones Creativas.

While most defendants will face trial in freedom, the companies must provide a 500,000 peso guarantee. A reparatory agreement reached with the family of Berenice Giles has modified the scope of the charges for certain defendants, though Operadora Eclectic remains implicated in both deaths.

Entities

Artur Romeu · Axe Ceremonia · Berenice Giles · Citlali Berenice Giles Rivera · Claudia Sheinbaum · Mexico · Miguel Ángel Rojas · Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández · Operadora Eclectic · Parque Bicentenario · Reporters Without Borders

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] An agreement with the family of Berenice Giles modified the scope of the criminal charges for most defendants. elchamuco.com.mx
[● 2 SOURCES] The scissor lift was used for functions and loads it was not designed for. www.poderycritica.com · tribunadelabahia.com.mx
[● 2 SOURCES] Operadora Eclectic is linked to the responsibility for both deaths. elchamuco.com.mx · tribunadelabahia.com.mx
[○ 1 SOURCE] The judge set a three-month deadline for the conclusion of the complementary investigation. tribunadelabahia.com.mx
[● 4 SOURCES] Eleven people and three companies have been linked to a legal process regarding the deaths of Miguel Ángel Rojas and Berenice Giles. eltecolote.mx · www.poderycritica.com · elchamuco.com.mx · tribunadelabahia.com.mx
[○ 1 SOURCE] The defendants will undergo the legal process in freedom. elchamuco.com.mx
[● 3 SOURCES] The deaths occurred on April 5, 2025, during the Axe Ceremonia festival. www.poderycritica.com · elchamuco.com.mx · tribunadelabahia.com.mx
[● 2 SOURCES] A structure collapsed from a scissor lift during the event. www.poderycritica.com · tribunadelabahia.com.mx