On US Independence Day, hundreds of residents marched through Mexico City’s Condesa district, the symbolic heart of gentrification, to protest skyrocketing rents, mass evictions, and the influx of foreigners transforming the city’s most fashionable neighbourhoods.
What began peacefully soon turned tense, with radical demonstrators smashing shop windows and chanting “Fuera Gringo!” (“Gringos Out!”). President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the violence, calling it “xenophobic”, but acknowledged that gentrification is a legitimate concern.
In Condesa alone, estimates suggest nearly one in five homes is now a short-term rental or tourist dwelling. Protesters argue that unchecked real estate speculation and platforms like Airbnb are driving locals from their communities.
For people like Erika Aguilar, the fight is personal. Her family lived in the historic Prim Building in La Juárez district for nearly five decades before being forced out in 2017. “They told us to raise 53m pesos in two weeks to keep our homes,” she recalls. Today, the building is being converted into luxury apartments marketed to short-term tenants — with rents increasingly quoted in dollars.
Displaced families like Erika’s now live hours from central Mexico City, a phenomenon activists call “the loss of the right to centrality.” Researcher Sergio González says more than 4,000 families have been pushed out of La Juárez alone over the past decade. “We’re facing an urban war,” he warns. “It’s about who has the right to the land.”
In response, Mayor Clara Brugada unveiled a 14-point plan to regulate rents, protect tenants, and build affordable housing. But critics say the measures are too little, too late and accuse both local and federal governments of promoting tourism-driven growth while neglecting long-term residents.
Adding to frustrations, Sheinbaum, as mayor, had signed a 2022 partnership with Airbnb to boost digital nomadism. Activists claim this accelerated the very displacement locals are now resisting.
While many Mexicans direct anger at the Americans and Europeans moving in, others, like Erika, take a broader view: “If I had the means, I’d probably do the same. Tourism brings money, but it’s not for people like me anymore.”
For newcomers such as Richard and Alexis Alsobrooks from Portland, Oregon, the allure of Mexico City is clear: affordability, lifestyle, and culture. They admit the dollar’s strength makes relocation tempting, but stress the importance of integrating respectfully. “Learn the language. Pay your taxes,” says Alexis.
Yet, as Condesa’s leafy streets continue to fill with cafés and co-working hubs catering to foreigners, long-time residents see more than change, they see loss. The fight against gentrification in Mexico City, they warn, is far from over.
