Global Mexico under Construction

“Where can I build my Manhattan?” was the question posed by Mayor Carlos Hank González in discussing the creation of a space in Mexico City that would symbolize global corporate power to the world. ¹ The idiosyncratic nature of the question reflected the Mayor's desire for such a space, as well as the way in which this pet project was shaped by the influence and power of the city's elite. As long as Santa Fe, the designated space, was considered the Mayor's “baby” (from the early eighties to the mid-nineties), most aspects of the process ran smoothly; but when priorities changed, corruption became part of the equation and the original plans for the project were undermined.