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14 de Agosto, 2007
Proud Patron Saint of Street Vendors: Alejandra!
Categorized under Política México | Tags: Hope, Mexicans, Mexico, Power to the People, Que Viva Las Mujeres
HERE'S THE STORY of Alejandra Barrios Richard, a great-grandmother, a tough fighter, and someone you want on your side when things go down:
MEXICO CITY -- Fight your way through parts of downtown Mexico City and you'll understand why Mayor Marcelo Ebrard wants to clean up this town. Street vendors selling tacos, bootleg CDs and cut-rate clothing have converted the symbolic heart of Mexico into a gigantic swap meet.His administration plans to relocate thousands of these bootstrap merchants, who block traffic, impede pedestrians, strew trash and evade taxes. But standing in his way is a 63-year-old ex-con and great-grandmother who has her own agenda.
That would be Alejandra Barrios Richard, leader of the largest association of sidewalk hawkers in the capital's historic center. Her 5,000-strong army occupies some of the most valuable real estate in Mexico, hard-won territory that the scrappy Barrios won't relinquish easily.
Over the last 30 years, she has risen from humble fruit seller to one of the most powerful street bosses in the city, using a formidable combination of personal charm, savvy negotiating skills and bare-knuckle brawling.
—LA Times, Mexico City's princess and the paupers; A great-grandmother defends the turf of 5,000 street vendors in the capital's core
Read the whole thing, really. It's great.
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Comentarios (1)
Tomas el Anglo dijo:
This is great. Sounds to me like the city government isn't doing anything for the vendors and Senora Alejandra is. And it also sounds like this "swallowing entire industries" complaint about the street vendors is nothing but corporate bleatings about being undercut.
AND she provides some housing and loan services? Looks like the vendors are beating the larger businesses at their own game and Senora Alejandra is beating the government at theirs.
Palabras por Tomas el Anglo spat forth on el 16 de Agosto, 2007 at 09:45 AM