Chanting “We don’t want concerts, we want medicine,” hundreds of Oaxacans marched this Saturday in the capital of Oaxaca as part of the national “We Want Medicine” mobilization in response to the collapse of the state health system.
With banners, slogans, and the motto “Oaxaca needs us!” dozens of people demanded that the state and federal governments guarantee the supply of pharmaceuticals to public hospitals and clinics.
The protest began at the iconic Fountain of the Eight Regions and continued to Paseo Juárez El Llano, causing traffic disruptions and temporary closures at points such as the Fonapas intersection. Participating were civil organizations, healthcare workers, medical students, and families of patients facing serious illnesses without adequate treatment.
The demand was directed at Governor Salomón Jara: “We don’t want concerts, we want medicine,” referring to the millions of pesos paid to artists who participated in free concerts during the “July, the month of the Guelaguetza” festivities.
The demand comes as discontent grows over public spending in Oaxaca. Participants recalled that, in July, the state government allocated millions of pesos for free concerts, while hospitals and health centers continue to report serious shortages.
“It’s inconceivable that there is a budget for shows, but not for medicine,” said a member of a citizen group.
The state government allocated more than 22 million pesos for the concerts held in the Alameda de León; it paid more than 10 million pesos to Cuban salsa singer Rubén Blades; 3.8 million to Lila Dows; and 4.6 million to Siddhartha.
The protesters denounced that the federal government has been failing to provide enough medication, a problem they claim has gone unsolved for years. They highlighted critical cases in hospitals that treat children with cancer, where parents themselves are the ones who seek and pay for the drugs the system fails to provide.
The protest also raised concerns about the lack of medicine for HIV patients, people with diabetes who depend on insulin, and patients who require general-purpose treatments.
This is not a march against anyone, but rather in favor of all those who need to live and cannot afford their treatments. This was expressed by a mother who walks every week to get chemotherapy for her son.
The mobilization was presented as a civic action without partisan overtones, focused on defending the right to health as a fundamental human right. The organizers called for unity: “For the good of all, let us add, not subtract.”
Participants brought stuffed animals that they gave away to bring a little joy to children with cancer who have survived this health crisis.
As the march disbanded in El Llano Park, the slogan continued to echo through the streets and avenues of Oaxaca: “We don’t want concerts, we want medicine… and we want it now.”
Source: oem
