Not so long ago, it was barely possible to walk along the pavements in and around the centro histórico, the area of cobbled streets, baroque churches, colonial administrative buildings and graceful old homes at the heart of Mexico’s capital. Every day thousands of poorer Mexicans congregated there from early in the morning to sell everything from popcorn and cheap plastic toys to counterfeit copies of the latest DVDs and computer software.
But last month, Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico City’s mayor, ordered police in to clear the area and 15,000 street vendors were relocated to purpose-built markets. The events mark the latest effort to re-launch regeneration efforts that were interrupted by the political turmoil that preceded and followed last year’s disputed presidential election.
