Councilor accused of pressuring to evacuate property in Benito Juárez

Residents of the Benito Juárez mayor's office in Mexico City are accusing Morena councilor Hugo Torres Zumaya of pressuring them to leave their building, raising fears of dispossession. The residents of Patricio Sanz 529 in the Del Valle neighborhood claim that the councilor and individuals associated with him are visiting homes door-to-door with an aggressive and intimidating attitude.

According to one resident who requested anonymity, Torres Zumaya is telling condominium owners that they must vacate their property due to the risk of collapse and that reconstruction will begin. However, the residents state they have not received official notification from the city authorities regarding the start of reconstruction work. This lack of official communication leads them to suspect that the councilor's motive is to forcibly remove them from their homes.

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Our conclusion is that, for some political interest or one we don't know, the councilor wants to pressure us to leave our building. He says, 'Oh, this building is at risk,' not at all. It does need reinforcement, and we want them to do it, but it is in no way at risk of collapsing.

"Our conclusion is that, for some political interest or one we don't know, the councilor wants to pressure us to leave our building. He says, 'Oh, this building is at risk,' not at all. It does need reinforcement, and we want them to do it, but it is in no way at risk of collapsing," the resident stated. They have requested support from local authorities to ensure the councilor ceases his involvement in the process.

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We ask the authorities that before more disposals occur, because there has already been one, but before more disposals occur on the property, they provide us with precautionary measures and ask the councilor to remove his hands from this process, because the central government is providing support. He has nothing to be doing there or making declarations because he puts us at risk, leaves us in a very, very vulnerable situation, saying that it is a building that is going to collapse, which is a lie, saying that there are neighbors there, invaders, dispossessors, it is a lie.

The resident expressed concern that the councilor's statements, claiming the building is on the verge of collapse and alleging the presence of squatters or dispossessors, put them in a vulnerable situation. They are asking authorities to implement precautionary measures and ask Torres Zumaya to step aside, especially since the central government is providing support for reconstruction.

In response to the accusations, Hugo Torres Zumaya issued a statement on social media on August 31, denying the claims. He stated that appropriate legal measures have been taken and that, for the protection of victims and to avoid impeding competent authority investigations, he will refrain from publishing evidence at this time. He pledged to adhere to protocols for protecting victims and vulnerable groups and will await the resolution of the competent authority before making further public statements.

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The legal measures have been taken and, for the protection of the victims and to avoid hindering the investigations of the competent authority, we will reserve, for the moment, the publication of the evidence and documents that accredit our statement. We will adhere to the protocol for the protection of victims and vulnerable groups and will await the resolution of the competent authority to make it public.