Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Just one week after Malecón entrepreneurs denounced convenience stores for selling liters "to go" in excess during the height of summer season, virtually no progress has been made in enforcing the city's public drinking law.

Despite the fact that there are now fewer people frequenting the boardwalk, last weekend many people were seen with liters in hand, brazenly drinking in front of police officers, who did nothing to deter their illegal behavior.

Tribuna de La Bahía reporters were on the scene, and reported that approximately 60% of the Malecón's visitors were concentrated in front of the clubs, sitting on the planter-box benches with drinks - whether in plastic cups or in the large Styrofoam cups that are characteristic of the so-called "liters" - in hand.

Throughout the evening, though there were a lot of police patrolling the Malecón, as well as the private security guards in front of the clubs, people would wander over to sit on the benches and drink alcoholic beverages without confrontation - and without police intervention.

When a police officer was asked why drinking was being allowed on the boardwalk if public drinking is assumed illegal, he responded that they had not been issued instructions to remove offenders, since they could only act if Reglamentos asked them for support. During the time the reporters spent on the Malecón (from 12 pm and 3 am) they did not see any sign of the city's Inspection and Regulations Department.

In this context, it was noted that the establishments that continued to sell prepared drinks to go were those on Calle 31 de octubre, several of the depósitos that stay open late near the Hotel Buenaventura downtown, and another one on Basilio Badillo that is known for selling Micheladas until 5 am.

Following last week's complaint from Malecón businesses about the excessive number of liters being consumed on the boardwalk, the head of Reglamentos, Macedonian León Rodríguez, announced that in addition to enforcement by inspectors, they would be requesting the support of Public Safety leaders to implement the public drinking law. However, during their reporters' investigative tour of the Malecón last weekend, Tribuna de la Bahía reporters saw virtually no progress being made by city authorities.