Squatted and Self-Managed Social Centres in Mexico City: Four Case Studies from 1978-2020

Authors

  • Robert González Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo
  • Diego de Santiago Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City
  • Marco Antonio Rodríguez Sublevarte Colectivo, Mexico City

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1285/i20356609v13i3p1269

Keywords:

commons, Mexico, self-management social centres, squatting, success/failure perspective

Abstract

A number of remarkable examples of self-managed social centres can be found among squatting and autonomous social movements in Mexico; despite sharing some of the traits found in European squatting movements, they also reflect the specificities and characteristics of the Latin American context. This paper aims to describe and compare four of these case studies in Mexico City: Biblioteca Social Reconstruir (BSR, Rebuild Social Library), Escuela de Cultura Popular Mártires del 68 (ECPM 68, Martyrs of 68 Popular Culture School), Okupa Che and Chanti Ollin. By examining these four examples in terms of the politics of self-management, it is possible to evaluate the achievements and limitations of this type of urban commons in Mexico from a critical success/failure perspective. Moreover, the different chronology of the four cases allows for an analysis of different stages in the relationship between urban social movements and broad grassroots movements in the country. The methodological approach includes committed ethnography, participant observation and in-depth interviews.

Author Biographies

Robert González, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo

Robert González (Lleida, Spain, 1975) is a professor and researcher in Political Science and Public Administration at the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Mexico. He holds a Ph.D in Political Science from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2011). As well as being actively involved in different social movements, he has conducted research and produced publications on citizen participation, public policy, youth, and social movements.

Diego de Santiago, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City

Diego de Santiago (Mexico City, 1989) has a BA in Visual Arts from UNAM and a Master's degree in Social Anthropology from the Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, where he researched political squatting movements in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. He defines himself as an ethically engaged social researcher and his research focuses largely on urban anthropology, social movements, anarchist studies, critical pedagogies, and gender and education studies.

Marco Antonio Rodríguez, Sublevarte Colectivo, Mexico City

Marco Antonio Rodríguez (Mexico City, 1979) holds a Master’s degree in Urban Art from the Faculty of Art and Design at UNAM. He is an audiovisual producer and trans-disciplinary artist who explores processes taking place in the public space. He is also an activist at Sublevarte Colectivo and LaOtraGrafika in Mexico City. He was involved in ECPM68 from 2000 to 2019.

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Published

15-11-2020

Issue

Vol. 13, No. 3 (2020). Special Issue on: “Squatting and Urban Commons” & “Judicial Populism”

Section

Special Issue/1

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