The Councilor for Festivities of the Miguelturra City Council, Diego Rodríguez, accompanied by the president of the Carnival Clubs Association, Raúl Domínguez, appeared at a press conference to announce the suspension of the 2021 Miguelturra Carnival.

The councilor stated that “it is one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, but we must show responsibility for the health and well-being of Miguelturra“. He noted that “we have an obligation to look after all citizens and Carnival involves not only the ten days of celebration, but also the 365 days of preparations, during which there is close contact between all members of the peñas and all those who work to make our great festival possible”.

Rodríguez stated that this painful decision “is the most responsible option given the health situation we are experiencing due to the crisis caused by COVID-19, given the impossibility of ensuring the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the areas surrounding the CERE, Spanish Square and Carnaval Street”.

A painful and consensual decision

A measure that was agreed upon with the board of directors of the Carnival Clubs Association at the meeting held last Wednesday, September 16, in the City Hall Plenary Hall. Present at the meeting were the Councilor for Celebrations, Diego Rodríguez; the Carnival King, Serafín Delgado; the president of the Carnival Clubs Association, Raúl Domínguez; and the members of the Association’s board of directors.

“The Miguelturra Carnival is a participatory celebration, involving several months of work and thousands of visitors. There are activities both indoors and outdoors, bringing together hundreds and thousands of people. Clubs come from all over the region, concluding their carnivals with floats and troupes on our Piñata Sunday. This work must be anticipated, and our obligation is to provide a swift and consensual response”, he stated.

Rodríguez concluded “We cannot consider any alternative to this, because if we did so, the Miguelturra carnival would lose its hallmarks”.

Initiatives to keep the “Get to Know Me” carnival brand going

For his part, Raúl Domínguez stated that, despite the suspension of the town’s main festival, regular meetings will be held to create a working group, provided health authorities allow it. “We will try to create some initiative so that the newly launched Miguelturra carnival brand “Get to Know Me” continues to resonate in our country and among the little ones, creating future street masks“.

Domínguez stated that “although it pains us greatly to take this measure, it is a mature, responsible decision, and we must rise to the occasion. Never before has the Miguelturra Carnival been halted, even if it was prohibited”.

Finally, both wished to express their gratitude for the mature, responsible, and consistent reaction of the supporters’ clubs. “Now it’s up to all of us to look ahead to Carnival 2022, which we’re sure we’ll make the best in history”.