La gentrificación trasnacional en América Latina: el caso de San Miguel de Allende

Abstract

The concept of transnational gentrification has recently gained relevance in the Anglo-Saxon theoretical debate on gentrification (Hayes, 2020). However, in Latin America the subject is still little explored, despite the fact that several cases have been revealed that point to its strong presence in several cities in the region. In this sense, the objective of this article seeks to conceptualize transnational gentrification in Latin America through the case of San Miguel de Allende, as a starting point to understand the process that in the subcontinent. A mixed qualitative research was carried out on the main structuring fronts of transnational gentrification in the historic center of San Miguel. Latin American transnational gentrification presents a diverse combination of actors and factors compared to that of the central and peripheral countries of the global north. San Miguel de Allende case shows the central role of the state and the economic elites in the process and highlights the transforming power of an international middle class as agents of change in the urban order of tourist cities.