Mexico election: Indigenous lawyer Hugo Aguilar leads race for chief justice
Electoral authorities said Mr Aguilar, who is a member of the Mixtec indigenous group, was ahead of Lenia Batres, the candidate who had the backing of the governing Morena party. Hugo Aguilar has long campaigned for the rights of Mexico's indigenous groups, which make up almost 20% of the population according to the 2020 census in which people were asked how the identified themselves. For the past seven years, the 51-year-old constitutional law expert has served as the rights co-ordinator for the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI).He was also a legal advisor to the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) - an indigenous guerrilla group which staged a short-lived uprising in southern Chiapas state in 1994 - during the EZLN's negotiations with the government in 1996.During his campaign for the post of chief justice he had said that it was "the turn of the indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples to take a seat in the Supreme Court", accusing the highest court of being stuck in the past and wedded to "principles which don't drive real change for the people".
Candidates with links to the governing Morena party look set to win the majority of the remaining eight posts on the Supreme Court, according to early results.Critics of the judicial reform which led to the direct election of all the country's judges say the dominance of the governing party is undermining the judiciary's independence.Those who backed the reform argued that it would make the judiciary more democratic and beholden to voters.However, the turnout was the lowest in any federal vote held in Mexico, suggesting that there was little enthusiasm among voters for choosing members of the judiciary directly.
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The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Backlash against Mexico City gentrification echoes global anger at overtourism and rising rents
The protesters tore through the city chanting angry slogans and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake: shattered glass, broken doors and furious graffiti – 'get out of Mexico.' Some, dressed in black, smashed windows of local businesses. Others marched peacefully but carried signs with angry messages: 'You're a colonizer not a fucking 'expat''; 'Gringo go home.' The march, which took place in central Mexico City earlier this month, was an angry local response against a growing global phenomenon: Gentrification, which locals blame on foreigners who have flocked to the capital since the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of the capital say these so-called 'digital nomads' are taking advantage of Mexico's relatively cheap living standards but pricing out locals in the process. Making matters worse: a flood of Airbnbs have overtaken the metropolis' most desirable, central neighborhoods (more than 26,000 listings according to the Inside Airbnb advocacy group), replacing longtime residents with tourists and short-term renters. It is a trend that's been echoed around the world, in cites like Barcelona, Genoa and Lisbon, where tourist apartments have proliferated, turning long-term residents into a rarity and causing anger among locals who have seen their communities eroded. The protest prompted a sharp rebuke from the country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum. 'The xenophobic displays at this demonstration must be condemned,' she said during a daily news conference on Monday. 'No matter how legitimate the demand, in this case gentrification, we can't just say 'Out!' to any nationality in our country.' But many Mexicans were sympathetic to the marchers' anger. Watching the protest play out on social media from his mother's home in the nearby city of Puebla, where he was forced to move after being priced out of Mexico City, Daniel Benavides says all he could think was: 'Hell yeah!' A 35-year-old film editor, Benavides moved to the Roma Sur neighborhood in central Mexico City in 2016. Unlike the already trendy Roma Norte and Condesa, Roma Sur still felt like a quiet neighborhood, without the hip bars, restaurants and Airbnbs that had flooded other areas. It was also affordable. But slowly, things started to change. There was already one Starbucks – then another one appeared, followed by the American fast food restaurant Popeyes. Then came the quaint cafes and bars that all looked the same. 'They all had little incandescent lightbulbs held up by rope,' he said. Benavides also started to notice an influx of foreigners, mostly Americans. Soon, the rent for his apartment started to go up. First the landlord increased the apartment's monthly rent by 3000 pesos (£118) from one year to the next. Then he started increasing it by about 8% annually. Before long it had gone from 15,500 to 20,500 pesos per month (£613 to £810). Such an increase is relatively modest, particularly by Mexico City standards. Yahir Zavaleta, 40, was living in Roma Norte in 2012, when it was still filled with locally owned businesses and cafes. When his contract came up for renewal in 2014, the rental company wanted to nearly double the rent. Zavaleta and his roommate decided to leave. Cecilia Portillo, a 30-year-old designer, has lived in Condesa for three years. Recently, she told her landlady that she was moving out, but that a friend was ready to take her place. 'The rent is going to go up by 50%,' said the landlady, according to Portillo, who has also watched a flood of foreigners arrive in her building. 'We've seen that people are willing to pay that much.' Such dramatic price rises, particularly in desirable, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, are common in Mexico City. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2024 found that, over a 20 year period, average housing prices in the Mexican capital had quadrupled, without considering inflation. In the swanky neighborhood of Polanco, prices increased eightfold between 2000 and 2018. Yet the study's authors cautioned that 'the influx of digital nomads, which significantly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not appear to significantly impact the dynamics of housing access' noting that it 'may be too early to observe the full impact of these newcomers'. Instead, the study suggested that 'displacement and gentrification predominantly originate from government policies and politics.' According to Mexico's national statistics agency, Mexico City had the lowest rate of new housing built between 2010 and 2020 of any state in the country. 'Housing construction has practically stopped completely in the last seven years,' said Adrián Acevedo, an urban planner and housing specialist. 'If there is no housing, then the purchasing power of those few people [who can afford to live in desirable areas], whether it be a foreigner or an upper-class Mexican, will obviously push up the price of the few homes that are available.' The lack of new housing, and the resulting surge in prices, leaves many lower-income residents with nowhere to go: According to state figures, 23,000 families leave Mexico per year. In 2022, Benavides' landlord announced that he had sold the apartment to a French woman: Benavides and his roommates would have to move out. He managed to find a shabby place nearby for 14,500 (£574) a month where he lived for a year. But then the landlord said they were increasing the monthly rent by 500 pesos, and Benavides also found himself without a job. Benavides decided to move out but suddenly found that rental prices in his neighborhood had skyrocketed up to 25, 35, 40 even 100,000 pesos a month. His old place now seemed like a bargain. With no job prospects and rents unaffordable, Benavides decided to leave Mexico City and move back in with his mother. 'I pushed the emergency eject button,' he said woefully, adding that, particularly as a gay man, he still misses the capital. 'It's a beacon of hope – a place you can be free.'
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
Backlash against Mexico City gentrification echoes global anger at overtourism and rising rents
The protesters tore through the city chanting angry slogans and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake: shattered glass, broken doors and furious graffiti – 'get out of Mexico.' Some, dressed in black, smashed windows of local businesses. Others marched peacefully but carried signs with angry messages: 'You're a colonizer not a fucking 'expat''; 'Gringo go home.' The march, which took place in central Mexico City earlier this month, was an angry local response against a growing global phenomenon: Gentrification, which locals blame on foreigners who have flocked to the capital since the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of the capital say these so-called 'digital nomads' are taking advantage of Mexico's relatively cheap living standards but pricing out locals in the process. Making matters worse: a flood of Airbnbs have overtaken the metropolis' most desirable, central neighborhoods (more than 26,000 listings according to the Inside Airbnb advocacy group), replacing longtime residents with tourists and short-term renters. It is a trend that's been echoed around the world, in cites like Barcelona, Genoa and Lisbon, where tourist apartments have proliferated, turning long-term residents into a rarity and causing anger among locals who have seen their communities eroded. The protest prompted a sharp rebuke from the country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum. 'The xenophobic displays at this demonstration must be condemned,' she said during a daily news conference on Monday. 'No matter how legitimate the demand, in this case gentrification, we can't just say 'Out!' to any nationality in our country.' But many Mexicans were sympathetic to the marchers' anger. Watching the protest play out on social media from his mother's home in the nearby city of Puebla, where he was forced to move after being priced out of Mexico City, Daniel Benavides says all he could think was: 'Hell yeah!' A 35-year-old film editor, Benavides moved to the Roma Sur neighborhood in central Mexico City in 2016. Unlike the already trendy Roma Norte and Condesa, Roma Sur still felt like a quiet neighborhood, without the hip bars, restaurants and Airbnbs that had flooded other areas. It was also affordable. But slowly, things started to change. There was already one Starbucks – then another one appeared, followed by the American fast food restaurant Popeyes. Then came the quaint cafes and bars that all looked the same. 'They all had little incandescent lightbulbs held up by rope,' he said. Benavides also started to notice an influx of foreigners, mostly Americans. Soon, the rent for his apartment started to go up. First the landlord increased the apartment's monthly rent by 3000 pesos (£118) from one year to the next. Then he started increasing it by about 8% annually. Before long it had gone from 15,500 to 20,500 pesos per month (£613 to £810). Such an increase is relatively modest, particularly by Mexico City standards. Yahir Zavaleta, 40, was living in Roma Norte in 2012, when it was still filled with locally owned businesses and cafes. When his contract came up for renewal in 2014, the rental company wanted to nearly double the rent. Zavaleta and his roommate decided to leave. Cecilia Portillo, a 30-year-old designer, has lived in Condesa for three years. Recently, she told her landlady that she was moving out, but that a friend was ready to take her place. 'The rent is going to go up by 50%,' said the landlady, according to Portillo, who has also watched a flood of foreigners arrive in her building. 'We've seen that people are willing to pay that much.' Such dramatic price rises, particularly in desirable, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, are common in Mexico City. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2024 found that, over a 20 year period, average housing prices in the Mexican capital had quadrupled, without considering inflation. In the swanky neighborhood of Polanco, prices increased eightfold between 2000 and 2018. Yet the study's authors cautioned that 'the influx of digital nomads, which significantly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not appear to significantly impact the dynamics of housing access' noting that it 'may be too early to observe the full impact of these newcomers'. Instead, the study suggested that 'displacement and gentrification predominantly originate from government policies and politics.' According to Mexico's national statistics agency, Mexico City had the lowest rate of new housing built between 2010 and 2020 of any state in the country. 'Housing construction has practically stopped completely in the last seven years,' said Adrián Acevedo, an urban planner and housing specialist. 'If there is no housing, then the purchasing power of those few people [who can afford to live in desirable areas], whether it be a foreigner or an upper-class Mexican, will obviously push up the price of the few homes that are available.' The lack of new housing, and the resulting surge in prices, leaves many lower-income residents with nowhere to go: According to state figures, 23,000 families leave Mexico per year. In 2022, Benavides' landlord announced that he had sold the apartment to a French woman: Benavides and his roommates would have to move out. He managed to find a shabby place nearby for 14,500 (£574) a month where he lived for a year. But then the landlord said they were increasing the monthly rent by 500 pesos, and Benavides also found himself without a job. Benavides decided to move out but suddenly found that rental prices in his neighborhood had skyrocketed up to 25, 35, 40 even 100,000 pesos a month. His old place now seemed like a bargain. With no job prospects and rents unaffordable, Benavides decided to leave Mexico City and move back in with his mother. 'I pushed the emergency eject button,' he said woefully, adding that, particularly as a gay man, he still misses the capital. 'It's a beacon of hope – a place you can be free.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Texas Republican admits: Trump's tariffs will ‘hurt' district but ‘I support him'
A Texas congressman laid out the often lonely task of defending Donald Trump's tariff plan to Americans on Sunday as he admitted to CNN that the measures would hurt his district but he supported them anyway. Tony Gonzales was on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday when he gave the matter-of-fact assessment. His state and district battled powerful flooding over the Fourth of July weekend that left more than 100 dead and dozens missing at a girls' summer camp and an RV/mobile home park. Gonzales was asked by CNN's Dana Bash whether the announced 'reciprocal' tariff rate for Mexico of 30 percent was too high. The congressman was also queried whether his district would be 'hurt' by the tariffs. 'It may,' responded Gonzales. 'But I do support the president in this.' President Trump began informing countries of effective tariff rates to go into effect August 1 as he seeks to apply further pressure to countries open to trade agreements. 'I think for too long, Mexico has gotten away with — been allowed to do anything,' the congressman continued. He repeated that claim a few seconds later — that Mexico was able to 'do what ever it wants', but did not give any specific examples of what he meant or how the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship had been impacted. He added that he was focused on the upcoming deadline, which appears to translate as hoping that Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum could reach a deal with the White House before that point. The spotlight on Trump's tariffs largely evaporated over the summer as it became clear that Wall Street had mostly absorbed the effects of Trump's tariffs on the market so far. Whether that will continue in August, once the remainder of Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs' go into effect, remains to be seen. Trump was previously talked into extending a pause for those measures for 90 days, leading to the negotiations this month, but also revealing continued market fears about the reciprocal measures. Mexico's government said this week that it was open to an agreement. 'We believe, based on what our colleagues discussed yesterday, that we will reach an agreement with the United States government and that, of course, we will achieve better conditions,' Sheinbaum said, according to Bloomberg and the Associated Press. But she also reportedly warned, in remarks made in the border state of Sonora, that Mexico would not bow to demands for unilateral concessions. Her country signed a trade deal meant to replace NAFTA during Trump's first term, the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact known as USMCA. Trump, however, has continued to use tariff threats to bully America's two closest neighbors into line, particularly on the issue of border crossings of fentanyl, which the Trump administration blames Canada and Mexico for not stopping. In recent days, the U.S. president has used that strategy to push Canada's government to drop a new tax on U.S. tech companies and even to attempt to try and force Brazil's government to drop a criminal prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro, the country's former president and a Trump ally. The Brazilian leader is accused of leading a coup to overthrow the government of his successor. The director of Trump's White House Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, said Sunday that Trump was using tariffs to pursue policy goals beyond any relation to trade deficits or unfair economic practices. 'Well, bottom line is the president has been very frustrated with negotiations with Brazil and also with the actions of Brazil,' Hassett said, while skirting around what those 'actions' actually were. 'In the end, though, you know, we're trying to put America first. I think that a lot of people, when I'm talking to negotiators from other countries, at some point they'll say, 'What did we do wrong?'' Those border crossings were the reason cited for Trump's announced 30 percent tariffs against Mexico. "Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT what Mexico has done is not enough. Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America in a Narco-Trafficking Playground," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
