A bike path runs between an avenue in Mexico and the sidewalk where Flor walks with her breasts exposed, waiting for customers. “I can’t even do it,” laments this sex worker, afraid of returning home without money.
The road is part of the works for the World Cup, which the country organizes together with the United States and Canada.
The airport is in chaos because of renovation work, which is progressing hurriedly before kickoff on June 11th. The same happens in the subway, with stations in the tourist historic center under construction.
The government believes everything will be ready in time for the first World Cup held in three countries.
Traffic in Tlalpan is at a standstill. This avenue connects the center to the south of Mexico City, where the Azteca stadium is located, the stage for the opening game between the Mexican and South African teams.
Women in short skirts and high-heeled shoes stroll along the sidewalk surrounded by short-stay hotels. A cyclist speeds along the new road and blows a whistle to avoid accidents with sex workers, who occasionally enter the bike lane to try to attract the attention of cars.
“The government doesn’t want sex workers” and seeks to “expel” us from this avenue where thousands of fans will pass, denounces Flor, 55 years old. “The World Cup doesn’t benefit me at all, because I’m poorer.”
Around 15,000 sex workers work in the Mexican capital, out of a total of 800,000 across the country, according to the NGO Brigada Callejera de Apoyo a la Mujer.
“Social cleansing”
Elvira Madrid, who founded the brigade and coordinates the Mexican Sex Work Network, denounces “social cleansing” to “show a first-world Mexico.”
His organization led a protest in Tlalpan itself, where the city council inaugurated the cycle path with fanfare.
“Constructing cycle paths is not easy,” said Mayor Clara Brugada when inaugurating the work on April 19. “It provoked a lot of resistance, but this is the fight and this is the transformation of mentality we want.”
“We say that Tlalpan Avenue belongs to everyone,” said the left-wing politician.
The city said it negotiates with sex workers, although details are not known.
In 2025, César Cravioto, government secretary, told the Mexican newspaper 24 Horas that they were working “on a proposal” to “generate rights for people who dedicate themselves to sex work”, amid pressure for legal recognition and social security. He has not yet responded to an AFP request for comment.
Cravioto spoke of “establishing codes of conduct, dress code, schedules, so that they do not affect residents of the region.” The proposal remained that way and, over time, it was fueled by rumors, such as that sex workers would wear the Mexican national team’s shirt.
“I’m going to come like this, normal, as always”, responds Flor.
“Why are we running away?”
At the intersection where Monserrat Fuentes works, a truck suddenly appears, heading towards Tlalpan, without stopping on the bike path. Next comes another car, slower, but also stopping on the track waiting for passage onto the large avenue.
She points with her finger to illustrate that her complaint is not limited to work. “An accident could happen,” maintains this 43-year-old woman, 20 of them as a worker in Tlalpan. She skillfully switches from sneakers and a long dress to heels and a miniskirt for work on the sidewalk.
“The government doesn’t care what we say”, assures Monserrat.
She explains that, if before she served five clients, now she has to settle for one or two. Another woman reports, for example, that in the past she earned just over US$160 (R$780) in one night and now it is less than US$40 (R$196).
Monserrat has already considered moving to another area, although he quickly backs down. “Why are we running away?” he asks.
The night progresses and Flor has to make a decision: leave while the subway is still running or wait until there is so much work that she has enough money to pay for a taxi.
