What was meant to be an orderly day for people to buy IMA hams at the Naviferia in Rommel Fernández, ended in confusion, blows, and collective frustration. In the middle of the line, a young man with a disability, visibly distressed, tried to approach his mother, who was right at the entrance. A police officer, interpreting that the young man was trying to cut in line, ordered him to step back. However, as he tried to get up again to find his mother, another scuffle broke out, leaving the officer at the entrance unsure of how to act in a situation that clearly required trained personnel, not force. Faced with the situation, the decision was made to completely close the doors, leaving hundreds of people outside, many of them for hours in the sun. The official explanation was that “the hams had run out,” but the venue's own staff claimed there were still units left. Who to believe? The mother explained she was just trying to reunite with her daughter, but the situation got out of control. The young man, distressed, attacked the officer, forcing the intervention of more police. When they finally realized the young man had a disability, he was laid on the floor to calm him down. They just closed and that was it. People who had spent hours in the line stated that collective reprisals for an operational error are not the answer. Organization, empathy, and qualified personnel are needed. Big doors to enter, small doors to exit, well-distributed lines, and officials prepared to deal with people with disabilities, they said. The public expects the IMA to correct its mistakes and hold a new Naviferia at the venue.
