<
https://theconversation.com/mexicos-tourism-protests-are-a-symptom-of-longstanding-inequality-in-latin-american-cities-261634>
"When thousands of residents took to the streets of Mexico City in July
chanting “Gringo, go home”, news headlines were quick to blame digital nomads
and expats. The story seemed simple: tech-savvy remote workers move in, rents
go up and locals get priced out.
But that’s not the whole tale. While digital migration has undeniably
accelerated housing pressures in Latin America, the forces driving resentment
towards gentrification there run far deeper. The recent protests are symptoms
of several structural issues that have long shaped inequality in the region’s
cities.
Long before digital nomad visas became policy buzzwords after the pandemic,
Latin America’s cities were changing at speed. In 1950, around 40% of the
region’s population was urban. This figure had increased to 70% by 1990.
Nowadays, about 80% of people live in bustling cities, making Latin America the
world’s most urbanised region. And by 2050, cities are expected to host 90% of
the region’s population. Such rapid urbanisation has proved a magnet for
international investors, tourists and, more recently, digital nomads.
In Latin America, gentrification has often involved large-scale redevelopment
and high-rise construction, driven by state policies that prioritise economic
growth and city branding over social inclusion.
Governments have re-branded entire working-class or marginalised areas as
“innovation corridors” or “creative districts”, as in the La Boca neighbourhood
of Buenos Aires, to attract investment. Neighbourhood re-branding has fostered
resentment among locals and, in Buenos Aires, policies supporting self-managed
social housing.
The introduction of integrated urban public transport systems has, while
improving city access for marginalised communities, also triggered property
speculation in once-isolated communities. In the Colombian city of Medellín,
for instance, this has driven up prices and displaced long-time residents from
hillside neighbourhoods like Comuna 13.
This is not an isolated case. A study from 2024 found that transport projects
in Latin America are frequently leveraged by governments to attract private
investment, effectively using mobility as a tool for urban restructuring rather
than social equity."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
