In Mexico City, the marches against gentrification have taken on an increasingly controversial and symbolic character. Renowned journalist Martha Anaya analyzes recent demonstrations in this video, from the first in Roma Condesa, where hooded individuals caused damage, to the upcoming mobilization that will depart from the Hemiciclo a Juárez (Juarez City Hall) toward the U.S. Embassy.
According to Anaya, the chosen route is no coincidence: it represents a politically and socially charged scenario. Secretary of Government César Cravioto described this route as “a great provocation,” especially because it passes through Reforma, the capital’s most exclusive and residential avenue.
In her opinion, understanding gentrification is key to understanding the protests: “Gentrification is the conversion of a poor, run-down area into a rich, wealthy, and luxurious one,” she explains. He mentions as an example the capital’s Zócalo, which was revitalized during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, when he was mayor, transforming an abandoned space into a renovated neighborhood, but which displaced its original inhabitants.
Anaya also points out that, unlike the Zócalo, Roma Condesa was not originally a poor neighborhood, but rather an area steeped in Porfirio Díaz’s history that was reclaimed thanks to neighborhood efforts after the earthquakes. The marches, he says, not only protest gentrification, but also “include slogans like ‘first hunt down the son of the worker, then hunt down the son of the bourgeois,'” reflecting deep social discontent.
This reflection on the marches offers a critical look at urban and social tensions in the Mexican capital, highlighting the complexity behind these demonstrations, Anaya concludes.
Source: unotv
