Complaints Following the Eviction
According to information from López Dóriga Digital, residents evicted from a building at 11 República de Cuba Street, in the heart of Mexico City’s Historic Center, reported this Thursday that they were victims of human rights violations during the operation that evicted them from their homes and businesses.
“We have serious problems. They took our home, just another one of the outrages being wreaked by gentrification,” complained Manuel Gómez Tello, an affected resident, at a press conference in front of the building.
The eviction, carried out in the early morning of August 27, left 19 families and several businesses homeless, with their belongings damaged or stolen.
The eviction had serious consequences: Adrián Montoya, owner of a printing business, died the next day of cardiac arrest after seeing his property on the street.
“It’s shocking news for my father to see all his things thrown away, as if they were worthless, like garbage,” said his son, Julio Montoya, standing in front of the destroyed machines.
Operation with Violence and Looting
The residents, mostly elderly, claim that more than 100 police officers were involved, not the 20 to 24 reported by the city government.
“They came breaking down doors, padlocks, they broke in, they looted us, they robbed us,” reported Arturo Velázquez, 65, who was pushed down the stairs and lost a tooth.
They also stated that the officers were accompanied by “more than 150 criminals” who allegedly stole and distributed his belongings. Witnesses reported that trucks were parked in the area to load furniture, appliances, and even complete files from some businesses. These actions were described as a coordinated operation that, far from protecting the residents, ended up brutally dispossessing them. Many residents slept under makeshift tarps and remain without access to basic services, increasing the vulnerability of sick or elderly people. Furthermore, they accuse the official response of being indifferent and insufficient.
They Demand the Right to Housing and Legal Clarity
Attorney Arturo Aparicio explained that the eviction stemmed from a lawsuit filed against the original owner of the property, who died in 1992, although the tenants continued paying rent to a company that never provided proof of legal representation.
He denounced that the procedure violated the right to housing and a fair trial, as the residents were negotiating with the government for the possibility of acquiring the property.
In protest, those affected blocked an avenue and delivered a 10-point petition, demanding:
Immediate return to their homes.
Clarity in the legal process.
Support to report violations of their human rights.
They accuse the government of neglect
Residents reported that meetings with the city government are “frozen” and that some support has been conditioned on ceasing to receive support from activists such as the Youth Housing Fund.
Source: elimparcial
