encountering la bruja la merced, mexico city, mexico - 2025They also call her the garbage lady, and when I ask her why, she points to the mountain of trash next to her shelter. It is March 21 when I meet Mary, 53, originally from Mexico, who has been living on the streets for 10 years. She laughs and tells me she is the oldest in the camp and also the dirtiest. At 10:15 a.m., I arrive among 230 plastic and cardboard tents. The estimated population: 1,800 souls, mostly Venezuelans and Central Americans, including 600 children between the ages of 3 months and 15 years. The following day, the number will drop to less than 1,300 due to unannounced evictions by the city administration. After telling me about my relationship with death, the bruja urges me to wait, sitting in her place, as she wants to show me something. After 35 seconds, she returns from behind the pile of rubbish with a red handbag containing her accumulated treasure over the years.
