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[title]The Portales neighborhood in Mexico City has its origins in the viceregal era, with settlements and vestiges still visible today that make it an emblematic and historic part of the city. And that’s not all! It was also the setting for the Battle of Churubusco-Portales, which residents continue to reenact every year.
We spoke with Cristóbal López, a local journalist who chronicles the Portales neighborhood and shares his discoveries on his Instagram account. Here's more about his project and the neighborhood.
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What was your inspiration for promoting the Portales neighborhood?
It’s a social project born from the need to tell the story of this neighborhood and preserve its historical memory, with the genuine interest of keeping Portales recognized as one of Mexico City’s emblematic areas. I hope that in 100 years, someone will come across my work and use it to document what our neighborhood was like. All these testimonies will become a time capsule, a digital illustration of our story.
What is the main challenge facing the neighborhood?
Gentrification. One day, Raúl -the owner of a local café- told me: “I'm leaving Portales, I can't afford the rent anymore.” I said, "What?" He explained, "Yeah, it went up from 15 to 30 thousand pesos." How is that possible? It's an emotional issue. Your earliest memories are here, but you have to leave because you can't afford it anymore. Small, run-down spaces get rebranded and sold as lofts.
What is the project's contribution to the community? Is there participation?
All I do is facilitate. People express a need to me, and I share it to find a solution. At first, it was difficult, but now it's a collaborative effort. Whenever there’s an initiative, I’m the voice of many. We started with listening centers, which are the places where we meet and talk. It’s not about nostalgia; it’s about strengthening the social fabric and recognizing the importance of taking care of each other.