Organizers of Guelaguetza San Diego postpone the cherished Oaxacan culture festival amid reports of increased immigration enforcement, prioritizing community safety.
SAN DIEGO — A beloved festival celebrating Oaxacan culture, food, music and traditional dance has been postponed as organizers take precautions amid reports of increased immigration enforcement activity.
Guelaguetza San Diego was scheduled for Sunday at Palomar College in San Marcos. The Coalition of Indigenous Communities of Oaxaca (COCIO), which organizes the annual event, announced the postponement following an emergency meeting.
This story continues below.
For more than 20 years, the festival has brought together families from across San Diego County to celebrate the traditions of Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico. The event honors the state’s eight regions through traditional dances, music and food, while giving younger generations an opportunity to connect with their cultural heritage.
“Everybody is waiting for la Guelaguetza,” said Valentin Ramirez, COCIO’s coordinator.
Ramirez said the festival also gives thecommunity a platform to make its voice heard and build connections with other organizations throughout San Diego.
Organizers shared the postponement announcement on social media, citing the well-being of community members, families and participants.
“A lot of the members, and the leaders from our coalition were getting reports of increased activity and there were was a lot of uncertainty of safety and wellbeing,”Cuetz Rodriguez, a COCIO board member said.
Following an emergency meeting, coalition members voted to postpone the festival until further notice. Rodriguez said the event was also canceled last year for similar reasons.
“Not everyone in our community right now feels like celebrating, in solidarity let’s pause our celebration and let people kind of gather and regroup and you know it’s not that there’s fear but the general sense around the county from a lot of people a lot of different backgrounds are worried,” he said.
The postponement comes after months of preparation by coalition members. But Rodriguez said those logistical challenges are secondary to the coalition’s priorities.
“We had to postpone buses, we had to postpone stage, rentals, university contracts. It’s also a lot of work to postpone an event, but that’s not the important part. What’s important to us is the well-being and safety of everyone in the county,” he said.
Organizers plan to announce a new date once the details are finalized.