Rojo de la Vega asks Brugada for working groups to coordinate operations against informal trade
Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, Mayor of Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, seeks coordination with the government to tackle informal trading and protect against violent groups.
Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, the mayor of the Cuauhtémoc district in Mexico City, has called upon Clara Brugada, the head of government, to establish working groups aimed at coordinating joint operations against informal street trading, also known as 'ambulantaje.' This plea comes in light of a recent physical assault on Rojo de la Vega while she attempted to regulate street vendors in San Cosme, resulting in injuries to 20 individuals, three of whom were severely hurt. The mayor emphasized the need for Metropolitan Police support to safeguard the teams involved in these operations from violent factions she labeled as 'criminals.'
In a television interview, Rojo de la Vega disclosed that they have already filed 11 complaints related to the incidents and plan to add four more, underlining the urgency and severity of the situation. She also addressed comments made by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who cautioned against stigmatizing informal traders or creating a spectacle out of the issue. Rojo de la Vega asserted that the focus should remain on enforcing the law and restoring order to the streets.
The mayor's plan involves relocating street vendors and imposing rental fees for their operating spaces, a contentious approach that tackles the difficulties of street commerce while aiming to assuage public safety concerns. The dialogue between local and state governments regarding this initiative signifies ongoing efforts to manage urban trade dynamics and safety in Mexico City while revealing the complexities involved in regulating informal economies.