The banners and wall coverings installed by the Nuevo León government at various locations across the metropolitan area—amidst preparations for the 2026 World Cup—have sparked intense public debate.
While some sectors view the measure as an attempt to hide working-class neighborhoods and a form of urban segregation, other residents maintain that the actions help improve the appearance of their communities and cause them no issues.
This is the case for Mr. Juan, a resident of the Caracol neighborhood—an area situated along the banks of the Santa Catarina River and next to Morones Prieto Avenue, a major thoroughfare that thousands of visitors will traverse during the World Cup.
He explained that state government personnel asked for permission to hang a banner on the exterior of his home, and he stated that he sees nothing wrong with the initiative.
“It’s fine. They just put these banners up the day before yesterday. There were other banners referencing the World Cup, but I think they ran into issues with FIFA. They did ask for my permission to put this up, and they anchored it to my roof because they were going to install some bollards here,” he recounted.
As he explained, the agreement with the authorities involved allowing the banner’s installation in exchange for the placement of protective bollards in front of his home to prevent vehicle accidents.
“They told me: ‘We’re going to install some bollards for protection so a car doesn’t crash in and cause an accident.’ That was the main part of the agreement. So far, they haven’t followed through, and they aren’t answering me anymore,” he noted.
Despite this, he insisted he has no objection to the authorities seeking to improve the city’s urban image ahead of the arrival of domestic and international visitors.
“It’s good that they want to improve the look of things. They don’t have to pay us—or pay people—to fix up their homes; that depends on each person’s own budget. I don’t mind that they’ve covered up what they consider unsightly,” he commented.
His main grievance, he said, is that the promised protective works have not yet materialized. “All I want is for them to follow through on the bollards, because I really need them. They promised them to me a month ago, but so far, nothing. At first, they told me they were already approved, but then they stopped answering me,” he added.
Urban interventions are not limited to the Caracol neighborhood. A concrete block wall has also been erected along Miguel de la Madrid Boulevard—one of the main access routes from Monterrey International Airport—visually demarcating the Nueva San Rafael neighborhood in the municipality of Guadalupe.
These actions are part of a series of projects and modifications being carried out in the Monterrey metropolitan area ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Source: oem
