Ancient Mexico Facts

Street vendors comprised a substantial part of urban commerce in the mid-1990s. The common term for vendors was ambulantes (literally, “wandering”), although this was technically incorrect since only a small percentage of them were mobile. The majority worked out of semi-permanent and permanent stands installed in the street and on sidewalks. All of these types of peddlers brought a particular set of difficulties because of their location in public rights of way. In many of Mexico’s larger cities, such as Mexico City, Puebla, and Acapulco, authorities engaged in a long-standing struggle to remove vendors from streets, plazas, and parks. Although this conflict dates back centuries, its intensity increased starting in the 1970s as the number of vendors increased. Reliable data on the number of street vendors is difficult to come by, but estimates range as high as a quarter of a million for Mexico City alone during the early 1990s.

Most street vendors belonged to vendor associations, which in turn were generally affiliated with a political party. Mexico City and Puebla had particularly activist vendor organizations. The associations were a means of defending turf, both from the authorities and from other vendors, and membership could number in the thousands for the largest groups. The leaders of these groups often extorted sizeable fees from members for “rent” of the sidewalk and for protection. Leaders might seek patrons in the political system, sometimes even congressmen, to stop harassment by city authorities. In return, leaders could provide the patrons with large numbers of supporters for electoral rallies and other mass political activities. Until 1988 almost all vendor associations were affiliated with the ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI, or Institutional Revolutionary Party), but after that date a minority of groups affiliated with opposition parties arose.

As of 1996, street vendors were the center of a tug of war between those who wanted to banish them from the streets and those who defended their right to earn a living. The Mexican Chamber of Commerce had long complained that vendors evaded taxes and competed unfairly. Some city residents also had complained about the traffic congestion and litter caused by vendors, as well as the unmodern image they present to visiting tourists. On the other hand, the vendors and their advocates pointed out that they were only trying to feed their families, and that there simply were not enough jobs available in factories and shops. The cycles of repression and toleration by the authorities that the vendors have experienced over the years shows that neither side has been a clear winner. The PRI and government officials, however, have benefited from the political support and graft that the vendors have provided.

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