A judge in La Paz granted an injunction on October 4, 2025, suspending enforcement of the city’s ban on drone flights along the Malecón boardwalk. The ruling came after a local citizen argued that the restriction violated individual rights and lacked sufficient justification for prohibiting drone use in a public recreational area.
The injunction temporarily halted the ban for the petitioner and raised the possibility of setting a precedent for similar cases. The ban had been part of new municipal regulations that sparked public backlash, particularly from photographers and hobbyists who said it unfairly limited their activities.
On November 6, La Paz City Council member Jorge Altamirano clarified at a press conference that “flying drones is not prohibited.” He explained that the regulation targeted the sale of photos and videos by unlicensed vendors working near the La Paz tourist sign, not recreational drone use.
“What’s prohibited is selling without a permit,” Altamirano said. “Anyone can fly their drone, for racing, sunsets, or whatever they want. What’s being regulated is the sale of those videos and photos, which counts as street vending.”
Altamirano said several individuals had been warned for selling drone footage without permits. When they repeatedly returned, police removed them and confiscated their drone. “They went back after being told to leave,” he said. “The police intervened, and that’s when the injunction was filed. The judge’s final ruling confirmed they cannot engage in commercial activity in that area.”
He emphasized that drone flying remains legal as long as operators comply with Civil Aeronautics regulations.
For the past three years, photographer Fernando Cruz has offered tourists short drone videos of the Malecón and the La Paz sign, capturing sweeping shots of the bay and the visitors waving below.
“It varies a lot,” Cruz said. “Some days I don’t make any sales, and others I do 10 or 12. It balances out.” Using a DJI Mini 4 drone, an iPad, and a microphone, he directs his clients from a distance and adds light commentary about the boardwalk’s history.
Cruz said it took more than a year to obtain the necessary municipal permits. “I’m registered with the tax authorities and have authorization from City Hall,” he said. A former elementary school teacher Cruz left the classroom to pursue drone photography full-time. “I value time more than money,” he said. “Here, I’m free to manage my schedule.”
Over the years, Cruz has filmed hundreds of visitors, some of them celebrities. “Sometimes I find my videos online later and realize they were famous,” he said, laughing. “I always think, ‘I should have asked them to tag me.’”
Cruz stands as an example of licensed drone operators working within the law, unlike the unpermitted vendors whose activities led to what turned out to be a temporary misunderstanding about a “drone ban” that has now been officially lifted.
