Juarez residents maintain sense of normalcy amid drug-related violence, martial law

The Daily Texan – Forging on, despite the darkness.

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Sergio Acoste stands under the shade of the city center’s massive cathedral. The shade extends over the square, filled with guitar players, shoppers and nappers, and onto his brother’s sunglasses shop, which Sergio manages.

Sergio watches as a swarm of pedestrians passes by his little folding table, covered with knicknacks. His table’s contents are not unique; similar displays fill the city square and open-air market behind his shop.

He scans the street, which is full of cars honking at pedestrians who disregard crosswalk signs, a constant occurrence in his hometown of CiudadJuarez.

“No tourists this year,” he says, giggling at a woman who squeals as she runs across the street, barely missing a car.

But the smile vanishes from his face as he watches strangers interrupt his city.

Caravans of federal and municipal troops barrel down the street. The pick-up trucks, which often travel in groups of three, are loaded with soldiers, some in army fatigues and others in black armor — all keeping the peace with fingers on the triggers of their automatic rifles. They stare into the crowd, making eye contact with whomever catches their gaze.

Most of the soldiers appear to be in their early 20s. Almost all wear fully tinted sunglasses or ski masks as they patrol El Paso’s border town.

Three soldiers jump out of their truck and start trying on the glasses that Sergio has arranged on rotating shelves.

“These guys don’t scare me,” Sergio says, as he cautiously glares at the nameless soldiers. He knows by their green army fatigues that they are the municipal troops.

He says that he feels safer since the soldiers arrived.

“It’s calmer since they came,” he says, still glaring at them.