As thousands of sex workers are pushed out of their historic spot in Mexico City, they are turning to collective action: organizing, resisting, and protecting one another in the face of growing pressure.
"This year marks sixteen years of me working as a sex worker in Mexico City," writes Natalia Lane, a trans sex worker, journalist, and activist. "We have endured the COVID pandemic, the arrival of drug trafficking, and anti-trafficking operations… But I had never seen consequences as cruel as those brought by the arrival of the World Cup."
As Mexico prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, infrastructure projects and urban "beautification" plans are reshaping parts of the capital.
