Establishment
Mercado de Sonora was one of a number of mercados públicos or public markets established by the city government in the 1950s, along with others such as Mercado Jamaica and the La Merced market. It is part of a number of mercados públicos or public markets established by the government to better organize and regulate retail commerce.[1][2] It is derived from the pre-Hispanic tianguis
or street market tradition, which still continues. It was originally set up with a large parking area for cars, but over time this space dwindled as the market grew.[1] The official opening of the market was in 1957.[3] For the market’s 50th anniversary in 2007, there was a large party with actress Edith González as special guest. The event also included mariachis and a limpia or cleansing to rid the establishment of any negative energy.[4]
The facility
The market is located in the Colonia Merced Balbuena neighborhood of the Venustiano Carranza borough. This site is traditionally commercial, located near an old fire station. The area used to contain exclusively narrow, haphazard streets, but around the same time as the market, a number of main thoroughfares (called ejes) were built and now surround most of the complex. However, the areas behind the market still contain the old, narrow streets.[1]
The building consists of a single large nave mostly constructed of metal. Inside, there are a number of narrow aisles containing stalls owned or rented by individual merchants. Most merchants are grouped by the type of merchandise they sell, such as party supplies, dishes, and pets. What little parking lot is left is filled by street vendors. On Saturday, when the market is busiest, these vendors overflow from the parking lot onto the surrounding narrow streets. These and various trucks and other vehicles block traffic, effectively closing the streets. The scene is noisy, filled with shouts of vendors and music blaring from stands selling CDs. However, this is also the time to find the widest variety of merchandise, such as nopal cactus and fresh corn from Milpa Alta, flower pots and soil from Xochimilco, and medicinal herbs from Puebla, Morelos and the State of Mexico.[1]
However, the mass of street peddlers outside and the lack of maintenance of the building proper has deteriorated the condition of the market greatly. The peddlers nearly hide the market proper and promote a lack of security and cleanliness. The building also has not been well maintained since it was built.[5] The lack of maintenance has led to leaky roofs, ramps and floors in very poor condition and problems with hygiene. Market representatives state that these problem are mostly due to corruption of borough authorities, who are also known to extort money from market merchants.[6] There have been attempts to clear the street vendors from the parking areas of the market, with the last sweep occurring in 2002.[7]
