A Disturbing Visit Downtown

Last week I took a taxi to go downtown.  I asked the driver to take me to the Palace of Fine Arts, however he had to drop me off a couple of blocks away since the major avenue running alongside the Palace is closed due to roadwork.  Not a problem since I know my way around the center of Mexico City quite well.

 The Palace of Fine Arts, 

the venue for art exhibits, concerts, opera and ballet.

remains closed during the pandemic.

A group of protesters have taken advantage of the closed thoroughfare and have set up a tent city on the street.  They are members of the Triqui tribe from the village of Tierra Blanca Copala in the state of Oaxaca.

From what I have been able to ascertain, for years there has been ongoing violence between different groups within the Triqui tribe.  The residents of Tierra Blanca Copala say that their village was attacked by a paramilitary group, houses were burned, people killed and wounded, and dozens of families were forced to abandon their homes.  The villagers are demanding punishment for those responsible and reparations for the damages.  The banner hung next to the tent village has some very disturbing photos of dismembered bodies.  Whether or not they are from this latest spate of violence, I do not know.

My actual destination that day was the nearby main post office, known as the "Palacio Postal".  The structure, built in 1902, certainly looks like a palace.

 

The "Palacio Postal" with the Latin American Tower in the background

I needed to go to the post office for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I wanted to buy some postcards to send to my European cousins, and the only place where I can find postcards anymore is from the vendors who are in front of the post office.  When I arrived there around 11:00 AM there was only one vendor who was starting to set up his stand of stationery products.  I asked him if no one sold postcards anymore.  (It would not have surprised me during this time when tourism is nearly nonexistent.)  He pulled out a bunch of postcards, and I purchased a number of them.

I then went inside the post office to buy some stamps for Alejandro's nephew to add to his collection.  I bought this sheet of beautiful stamps depicting butterflies of Mexico.

The post office faces the lovely Plaza Tolsa.  In the center is the equestrian statue of King Charles IV of Spain, which is commonly referred to as "El Caballito" (the Little Horse).

At one side of the plaza, the National Museum of Art is still closed due to the pandemic.

On the other side of the plaza is the Palace of Mining, a fine example of 18th century neoclassical architecture.  It now belongs to the Engineering School of the National University of Mexico.  

Sadly the historic building was vandalized in March by protesters on International Women's Day.  Much sadder is the fact that in 2020 there were nearly 1000 femicides in Mexico, and that most of the murderers go unpunished.  This year the anger of the protesters was even further enflamed by the fact that the ruling party's candidate for the governor of the state of Guerrero, Felix Salgado, has been accused of sexual harassment and rape by several women. (The court has since ruled that he cannot run in June's election... not because of the accusations, but because he did not file the financial reports required by law.)

Windows and doors of the building were damaged, and the structure was spray painted with graffiti.

"No one will silence us anymore."

"Felix Salgado rapist"

I talked with Alejandro about the issue.  He said that he used to think that such acts of vandalism were stupid, but peaceful protests have done nothing to improve an intolerable situation.  "What is more important, buildings or women's lives?" he said. He understands the rage felt by many feminists, and if his own sister were a victim of rape or murder he does not know how he would react.  He might be out there smashing windows with the protesters too.

Across the street from the Palace of Fine Arts is a small monument that was erected by the feminist movement.  It is now covered with signs and posters decrying the latest case of femicide.  Monse Bendimes, a 20 year old university student from Veracruz, was beaten to death by her boyfriend.  The boyfriend is currently in hiding avoiding arrest.

As I write about such topics, I do not want to play into the hands of those say that Mexico is a dangerous place to visit.  I feel perfectly safe here.  However I also recognize that the nation faces many serious problems.  And you know what?  A lot of equally disturbing stuff is going on in my own country right now!