Rosarito’s transformation into one of Baja California’s best-known beach destinations helped lay the foundation for the city’s eventual incorporation as an independent municipality, according to Hugo Antonio Torres Ramírez, chairman of the Rosarito Beach Hotel board of directors.
Speaking during events marking the 31st anniversary of Playas de Rosarito’s municipalization, Torres reflected on the role the city’s early tourism industry played in shaping its identity and supporting the movement that ultimately led to local self-government.
“The tourism era I represent began in the 1920s with the opening of Rosarito Beach Hotel and the Hotel Renes, both in 1924,” Torres said. “That period of tourism growth gave Rosarito the momentum that eventually made municipal status possible.”
Torres said the Pro Municipality Committee was formed in 1983 during a meeting at the Hotel Rosarito’s Restaurante Azteca, where his father, Hugo Eduardo Torres Chabert, joined other community leaders in launching the campaign to separate Rosarito from the municipality of Tijuana.
“They believed Rosarito’s needs and priorities were different from those of Tijuana,” he said.
The creation of the committee has become part of the Rosarito Beach Hotel’s historical legacy. The property was later designated a Historical and Cultural Heritage Site of Baja California through an initiative led by Hugo Eduardo Torres Chabert.
Torres recalled that his father often expressed a strong sense of local identity during the municipalization campaign.
“When people asked why he wanted Rosarito to become independent from Tijuana, he would say he didn’t consider himself a resident of Tijuana—he considered himself a Rosaritense,” Torres said.
He also recognized the members of the Pro Municipality Committee and everyone who participated in the effort to establish Rosarito as an independent municipality.
Looking ahead, Torres said Rosarito has made significant progress over the past 31 years but continues to face challenges, including improving road infrastructure and strengthening tourism.
“Municipalization gave us the ability to make decisions for ourselves,” he said. “Today we have our own budget, but it’s important for both citizens and the committee to ensure those resources are used to improve people’s quality of life. We’ve made important progress, but there’s still work to be done.”
