Playa del Carmen to Monitor Militarized Pentathlon Groups After Tamaulipas Incident

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Municipal authorities said they will keep a close watch on militarized pentathlon groups operating in the city, following the recent death of a student at a militarized school in northern Mexico.

José Gabriel Pérez Álvarez, head of the municipal Youth Institute, said the rights of children and young people take precedence over any other consideration.

“In this case, we put the youth of Playa del Carmen at the center. The city president has asked us to do so, and she has done a lot. There is no knowledge of such issues here, but we seek the safety of our children. If anything relevant emerges, we need to establish a course of action,” Pérez Álvarez said.

Although militarized pentathlon groups have operated in Playa del Carmen, mainly involving young people, there have been no complaints of abuse inside these hierarchical organizations so far.

At one point, a militarized school offering education through high school operated on the outskirts of the city but later shut down.

The official’s remarks come after the death of a minor at a militarized school in Tamaulipas, a case that has sparked public outrage over the possible brutality involved.

“Our role is prevention, and this unfortunate event is a reason to take further action with the authorities in those institutions, if they exist in Quintana Roo, to protect our youth,” Pérez Álvarez reiterated.

He added that although youth protection is not strictly within his agency’s remit, he always seeks to support young people who may be in situations that endanger their physical and mental integrity.

Throughout this month, the institute will continue activities aimed at reinforcing youth values, with free events in public spaces for this important segment of Playa del Carmen’s population.