Let's talk about touristification: Afrofeminist neighborhood at risk of eviction
What happens when your city is named a Magical Town? El Patio de la Estrella, an inclusive neighborhood in Veracruz, faces the risk of eviction. It's the only space in Córdoba that openly advocates dissident and Afrofeminist rights, and it shelters women living in contexts of violence and migrants.
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El Patio de la Estrella (Córdoba, Veracruz) is a neighborhood inhabited and defended by people of African descent, women, and LGBTI+ people. For nine years, it has resisted attempts at forced eviction and the accelerated touristification promoted by the municipal government. As a result, six families are currently at risk.
The harassment of the Patio de la Estrella has intensified in the context of Córdoba's designation as a "Pueblo Mágico." This status encourages tourism and raises the cost of living, prioritizing the tourism industry far over the right to housing.
Lucy Batista is a doctor by profession, a defender of the land, and a resident of the Patio. She has publicly denounced the fact that for nine years she has faced institutional persecution for defending the Patio de la Estrella , her home.
In December 2020, Batista was found guilty of the crime of dispossession, although those involved in the investigation file maintain that no such act occurred. The sentence is ambiguous: on the one hand, Lucy explains, it establishes guilt and allows her to "stay." But it requires her to "hand over everything else," without specifying what she must give up.
The patio, a diverse refuge
The Patio de la Estrella is more than just a home; it's a historical monument dating back to 1857. Since 1990, it has been protected by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). It is a social reference point and meeting point for the Ko'olelm maroon, anti-racist, and Afro-transfeminist collective.
The majority of those who live in the Patio are women, Afro-descendants, trans people, and people of color. It is the only space in Córdoba that openly declares itself dissident and Afro-feminist, and it provides shelter for women in situations of violence and migrants.
Carla Escoffié, a lawyer and housing rights advocate, explained that in addition to narratives that speak of the benefits of tourism for Magical Towns, there are other narratives about "improving" certain areas. This is a response to "whitening by dispossession."
“Improvements are often linked to the profiling of people. That is, which ones are accepted, and also which practices. Those who perform sex work, LGBT people, racialized people, and migrants are seen as people who need to be removed for the “improvement” of the space. Often, this improvement involves not only a spatial change but also a population change.”
In the face of police harassment, surveillance, and political persecution, which led Lucy to lose her job, the families' resistance is articulated through art and culture. The Patio de la Estrella continues to host events such as anti-racist fandangos and annual gatherings, with art serving as a tool of resistance to make this space visible and defend it.
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