The 40 million pesos raised from the auction of motorcycles seized by the Attorney General's Office (FGR) from former Canadian athlete Ryan Wedding will be allocated to the development of the Music Conservatory and a cultural center in Tultepec, State of Mexico, according to the Institute to Return Stolen Goods to the People (INDEP). During the project presentation, Mónica Fernández Balboa, director of INDEP, explained that the funds are part of the income obtained through the sale of seized assets and that, through the Social Cabinet of the Office of the President, they will be used to fulfill the commitment that President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo made during a visit to the music school in that municipality in 2024.
"Today that commitment is being fulfilled, and the resources for the comprehensive project are being delivered to the children musicians, for the development of the music conservatory for the youth of Tultepec," she said.
Fernández Balboa noted that the goal is for students to have dignified facilities, adequate equipment, and musical instruments to continue their artistic training.
For her part, the Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, detailed that the new conservatory will allow community music education to expand to the professional level and will feature 24 music practice rooms, 16 rehearsal rooms, percussion spaces, and an acoustic shell for outdoor concerts.
In addition, she explained that the project includes three educational pillars: basic vocational training in marching bands at four high schools, the creation of the country's first degree program in Mexican Music, and the updating and professionalization of teachers.
"It will involve coverage of 3,500 students, 1,500 in high school and 2,000 in higher education," said Curiel de Icaza.
The Secretary of Culture specified that the 40 million pesos will be allocated to musical instruments, general and technological equipment, as well as the executive project. The construction will be carried out by the municipal government and is expected to be completed in 2028.
According to the presented schedule, basic training at the four high schools will begin in the 2027-2028 school year, while the first degree program in Mexican Music will start in the 2028-2029 school year.
President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted the role of INDEP in recovering resources from acts of corruption and organized crime, seized by the Attorney General's Office (FGR), to allocate them to the people and to projects such as the announced music conservatory.
"In this case, we made the decision to support the Tultepec conservatory; besides, we got to know it during the campaign — it is very intensive work that the municipal president has carried out with the governor, and we consider it essential that it be supported with these resources.
"Yesterday, 70.1 million pesos were recovered from the motorcycles of this person dedicated to organized crime, and 40 million pesos will be dedicated to the Tultepec conservatory," she said.
For his part, Ramón Sergio Luna Cortés, municipal president of Tultepec, detailed the opening of cultural and preventive spaces such as the Youth for Tultepec project, which began four and a half years ago and aims to keep adolescents away from addictions.
"We have 20 spaces where children can join. We are building another space and looking for another one so that all children and young people, between the ages of 5 and 19, have a space as close as possible to practice music. We have purchased nearly 4,500 musical instruments," he detailed.
The municipal leader explained that his government adapts spaces and has hired 120 teachers to train young people in culture. Talks with mental health personnel are also being promoted to alert students, fathers, and mothers about drug use.
"Today we have about 18 bands, we already have mariachis, we have rondallas — about 14 rondallas — and we are recently starting a program, the Marching Bands program, in all the public schools of Tultepec: middle schools, high schools, and universities; we deliver a package of instruments and send teachers so they can form Marching Bands," he said.
Meanwhile, Delfina Gómez Álvarez, governor of the State of Mexico, said she was grateful to the federal government for developing the Tultepec Music Conservatory, as it represents confidence in the talent, capacity, and future of young people, as well as the implementation of the Attending to the Causes strategy.
"Behind every rehearsal, discipline, and effort, and behind every young musician, there is a story that deserves to be accompanied. Thank you for demonstrating that transformation is not only in infrastructure and economic growth, but also in the opportunities offered to young people to discover their abilities, develop their talent, and build a life project," she said, assuring that the 40 million pesos allocated will be used "with the utmost care."
After performing "New World Symphony" (Antonín Dvořák) and "Nereidas" (Amador Pérez Dimas), the Youth for Tultepec Chamber Orchestra thanked them for the support for the construction of the municipal conservatory, as well as President Sheinbaum Pardo's invitation to this Friday's morning press conference.
"Thank you to teacher Alejandro for doing everything, the impossible, so that we could get here — it's an opportunity that, well, it was almost impossible that it would come our way, right? And with a lot of effort, from all of us, we made it," said Jair Flores Lara.