Gentrification / Uber Faces Criticism Over 7% Fare Increase

Gentrification. Claudia Sheinbaum called for peaceful protests against gentrification, emphasizing that “the problem is not the people who come to visit us.” Sheinbaum also added that foreigners residing in Mexico “must respect our laws, our Constitution, and the Mexican people.”

Sheinbaum also praised Clara Brugada’s initiatives, emphasizing that they go beyond simply capping rent increases to match inflation. She described the policy as part of a broader, comprehensive strategy to combat gentrification in the city. “It is a holistic plan to ensure that residents can stay in their neighborhoods, even amid urban development that might otherwise displace them,” Sheinbaum stated. She clarified that the rent cap already existed, “but now Clara has introduced measures to actively enforce it.”

Uber Plans to Shift Social Security Costs to Users. Claudia Sheinbaum expressed disapproval of Uber’s intention to transfer the cost of social security contributions for its employees to users. She acknowledged there is a six-month voluntary implementation period, but emphasized that Uber is a highly profitable company. “There is no reason the end-user should bear this cost. It is simply not true that it must be passed along, these workers deserve social security and the company must take responsibility.”

FINABIEN Card Lowers Remittance Fees. Rocío Mejía Flores, Director, Financial Services for Well-Being Agency (FINABIEN), announced that the FINABIEN card is now the most cost-effective option for Mexicans in the United States to send remittances. 

The transaction fee for remittances sent using the FINABIEN Paisan@-USA card has been reduced from US$3.99 to US$2.99. Among its additional benefits, the card exempts users from the 1% tax on cash remittances, allows them to receive payroll payments via electronic transfer, and supports cash deposits at more than 100,000 retail locations. Users can send up to US$2,500 per transaction and up to US$10,000 per month.