Published
Wed, Jan 11, 2017, 18:29
- Mayor Carlos Arroyo created the prohibition in response to a perceived public health issue related to drugs.
Mar Del Plata, Argentina's largest beach resort destination, has banned electronic music events.
It's the second Argentine city to take such measures: Buenos Aires stopped issuing permits for dance festivals in April of last year, following the drug-related deaths of five people at Time Warp Argentina.
Mar Del Plata mayor Carlos Arroyo declared the prohibition this Tuesday in response to a perceived public health issue related to recreational drug use, El MarPlatense reports. The announcement comes a week and a half after the drug-related death of a 20-year-old girl following a New Year's event in Arroyo Seco, Argentina.
The decree sparked sharp criticism, not only from event promoters but from local politicians. El MarPlatense spoke to Mar Del Plata councilman Santiago Bonifatti in a follow-up today, who said he opposed the measure and demanded a more "focused" and "intelligent" solution.
One councilor called the measure a "mistake," saying that it unfairly stigmatizes electronic music events. "We can't prohibit something that is not illegal," he said. Similar criticism has been leveled at Buenos Aires' electronic music ban, and its city officials said they would re-examine the policy after a Kraftwerk show was nearly canceled in November.
It's unclear how the city will enforce this prohibition, though they've gone so far as to create a Whatsapp hotline where neighbors can register complaints about electronic events in their area. Upcoming events with Nina Kraviz, Lee Foss and Solomun are up in the air at the moment, as certain venues have temporarily suspended their activities.