Why are drunk drivers in Mexico City taken to the “Little Bull”?

If you’re caught driving and drinking successful Mexico City, chances are you’ll get to walk a nighttime successful the Administrative Sanctions and Social Integration Center that hosts radical who transcend the ineligible intoxicant limit. Never heard of it? Odds are you have, but by a antithetic name: El Torito.

The reasons idiosyncratic whitethorn beryllium taken to El Torito see failing a breathalyzer test, drinking intoxicant successful prohibited areas oregon obstructing nationalist roadways.  While each states crossed Mexico person a dedicated country for these kinds of infractors, lone radical successful Mexico City and a fewer cities successful the country, including Guadalajara, telephone it El Torito. You’re astir apt wondering why. 

The Tacuba slaughterhouse, wherever El Torito present stands, successful the aboriginal 20th century. (INAH)

Why is it called El Torito?

All different cities that telephone their drunk tanks El Torito bash truthful due to the fact that of the 1 successful Mexico City, whose nickname has humanities value linked to the site’s past. Located successful the vicinity of San Diego Ocoyac, successful Miguel Hidalgo, it was inaugurated connected October 28, 1958, by President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines.

The halfway was established connected the tract of a erstwhile slaughterhouse, hence the sanction “El Torito,” which virtually means “the small bull.” 

How bash radical extremity up successful El Torito?

At “retenes” (checkpoints), strategically located crossed the city, constabulary officers randomly prime drivers to instrumentality a breathalyzer test. Those whose humor intoxicant attraction exceeds 0.8 grams per liter oregon whose enactment intoxicant level exceeds 0.4 milligrams per liter are taken to El Torito. 

Drivers nether the power of narcotics, intoxicants oregon psychotropic drugs are besides taken to the center, wherever they walk betwixt 20 and 36 hours, portion their conveyance is taken to a “corralón,” oregon metropolis impound lot.

The El Torito unit celebrates the center’s 66th day successful October 2024. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

The breathalyzer is portion of the Drive Without Alcohol program, which began successful 2003 with the extremity of preventing alcohol-related roadworthy accidents. According to authorities, this programme has reduced fatalities by 70%.

The medication of El Torito prides itself connected the humane attraction of inmate, and the center’s scope is not strictly punitive. During their enactment astatine El Torito, detained drivers person aesculapian and intelligence attention, arsenic good arsenic integration activities to forestall recidivism. The halfway tin clasp up to 72 men and 52 women, the second of whom are assigned to a women’s helping tally by pistillate personnel. El Torito sees its top fig of inmates during the holidays— but the paper is besides exceptionally bully those days. 

What inmates devour astatine El Torito?

Local media typically covers the fig of inmates during holidays, and the paper for those days.  

The paper connected Christmas Eve 2024 included rice, romeritos with potatos and prawns, fried beans and caller juice. Meanwhile, the nutrient served connected New Year’s Eve included pasta crockery with cream, pozole with lettuce, radish and tostadas and caller juice. 

With reports from El País, TV Azteca and El Economista.