translated from Spanish: They steal instruments from the Ayutla Philharmonic Band, Oaxaca

At least 20 instruments from the Philharmonic Band of St. Peter and St. Paul of Ayutla, in Oaxaca, were stolen during the early morning.
The instruments were the heritage of the Mixe community as they had been acquired through donations, savings and management by the committee and authorities.
“Almost all the instruments from the municipal Philharmonic Band music school in our community were stolen. You do not know what music means to mixes communities,” Yásnaya Elena, linguist, writer and translator from Ayutla, Oaxaca, told on her social networks.
Tubas, trombones, trumpets, transverse flutes, saxophones of different types, and also percussions were the tools that took away children and adults belonging to the Band.

I’m sorry to tell you a story that i’m in a lot of pain. Criminals stormed music school and stole almost every instrument from our Philharmonic Band that is the lifeblood of our community. You know what music means to mixes peoples. pic.twitter.com/CJSjbzAVzy
— Yasnaya Elena (@yasnayae) December 13, 2019

According to the writer, behind every donation there is a lot of effort and love. “My community, like the other Mixes communities run a music school in a self-ged, the Band’s committee does a free service for a year to care for our Band.”
“One of the dreams of people in our community is to be able to donate an instrument to our Philharmonic Band. A year ago after saving some time I was able to fulfill the dream of donating a modest instrument. But there are so many people who save and donate because we love our band,” Yasnaya Elena wrote on their social networks.
He explained that the band’s musicians give their free musical service, accompany them at parties and funerals. Every community has its composers and everything in the school is communally owned, it is everyone’s.
“The Philharmonic Band is our ambassador to other peoples. They’re going to represent us, and when they come back after playing five days in a row at a patron saint’s party, rockets are flown so the people know they’re back,” she explains.
“In addition to the unfortunate material loss we feel that we were attacked in the heart of the community for what it represents us. A town without their band is not a village, we feel it,” he said.

Municipal authorities reported that they have already filed the complaint with the State Attorney’s Office.
Pawnshops and musicians in the eight regions of the state were also issued to avoid buying the stolen instruments.
Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto said the unit would support them so that the band will soon re-sound.

We understand what this loss means for the community. Count on the support of the Secretariat of @cultura_mx to make the band ring again soon. https://t.co/ESMwDMxTBy
— Alejandra Frausto (@alefrausto) December 13, 2019

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Original source in Spanish