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- Spilling the tea on Condesa's safety scare
Spilling the tea on Condesa's safety scare
Mariah Markus, Trump 2.0 & Art Week

We are baaack! šš½
And just like that, two months flew by. A dizzying number of things have happened since I last wrote to you, but on a personal level? Iāve been rewatching Sex and the City with adult eyes and wow, what a toxic pair Carrie & Big were. Iāve also been working a lot since my job promotion in November.
Above is mostly what Iāve been up to instead of writing this newsletter. Lately, I canāt help but wonderāam I girlbossing too close to the sun?
Oh. Sorry about that. I have Carrieās column voice stuck in my head. It might take a couple of newsletters to recalibrate. But enough about me.
Todayās topic? A young American woman whose mental health struggles and violent outbursts sent shockwaves through Condesa, igniting debates over deportation, gentrification, and xenophobia.
If you would like to support CDMX iykyk, you can always fuel my caffeine habit with a US $5 coffee.
Letās get to it.
TOP STORY

The Curious Case of Mariah: Mental Illness, Violence & Gentrification in Condesa
Last year, a young American woman suffering from apparent mental illness became infamous in Mexico City's Condesa and Roma neighborhoods for her violent behavior. Reports described her spitting on pedestrians, stabbing a dog, and throwing rocks at strangers. Despite multiple arrests, she remained on the streets until she was ultimately deported in late December. But who was she, and how did she end up in Mexico?
Tell me more.
Mariah Markus, 33, was originally from Colorado and had a background in graphic design, computer science, and military service. Her LinkedIn profile painted an impressive pictureāshe had her own portfolio website, had studied computer science, and even served four years in the Colorado Air National Guard. Her page boasted over thirty honors and awards, including professional fighting titles.
But beyond her professional accomplishments, Mariahās social media posts hinted at a much darker reality. Articles she wrote on LinkedIn and posts on Facebook detailed an abusive childhood and multiple suicide attempts. Then, in the fall of 2020, she stopped posting altogether.
What happened between then and her arrival in Mexico remains a mystery.
Letās unpack this.
Mariahās downward spiral became evident throughout last year. I first heard of her through a WhatsApp group Iām in, after she spat on a girl from the group. Soon, I learned she was considered dangerousāand had even stabbed a dog.
By October, concern over Mariahās presence in the community reached a new level. A woman claiming to be a family friend joined a WhatsApp group called Police Report asking for information on her whereabouts. She urged members not to call the police, insisting that Mariah was ill and needed help. The messages were unsettlingāscreenshots shared with me revealed that Mariahās family had been looking for her, but her father wouldnāt be able to come to Mexico to retrieve her for another month.
As more people shared their encounters with Mariah online, her case took on a viral quality. Some discussions framed her presence in Condesa as a gentrification issue, while others saw it as a public safety crisis.
Local politician Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, mayor of CuauhtƩmoc, took notice. She used her social media platforms to gather firsthand accounts from affected residents, emphasizing the need for concrete evidence to support deportation efforts. The main challenge? Mariah had been detained multiple times before, only to be released due to a lack of formal complaints or sufficient evidence.
The pressure and social media mobilization worked. Within two days of the issue gaining widespread attention in community groups and social media, COPACO HipĆ³dromo Condesaāa local civic organizationāannounced that Mariah had been deported back to the United States.
What does this mean?
At its core, Mariahās story is about untreated mental illnessāthe devastating consequences of someone unraveling without support. But the fact that this all played out in Mexico adds another layer.
A recent article about her in an English-language publication took a strikingly sympathetic tone, subtly accusing Mexican residents of xenophobia for calling for her deportation. But would the same article have been written if she had terrorized the streets of Boulder, Colorado, instead of Condesa?
Would U.S. media extend the same compassion to a once-successful Mexican individual suffering a mental health crisis and committing violent acts in Trumpās America?
Judging by the articleās comment section, opinions are sharply divided.
Other Stories:
āļø Trump 2.0 takes aim at Mexico with āAmerica Firstā tariffs & policies
š Mexico City tops Nat Geoās list of best food destinations for 2025
š Mexico received over 4,000 deportees during Trumpās first week in office
š Sheinbaum promises 50,000 jobs for Mexicans deported from US
š½ Mexico moves to protect native corn from GMO threats
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CULTURE & HAPPENINGS
Fri, Jan 31: Voila Talk & Play š¹ļø
Sat, Feb 1: Wellness Art Workshop š§š»āāļø
Sat, Feb 1: LAMPS art week free event š”
Tues, Feb 4: BlaBla Language Exchange š£
Wed, Feb 5: Art Week Talk: How the Art World Works & the Value of Art! šØ
Thur, Feb 6: Art by the People ā CDMX š©š½āšØ
Fri, Feb 7: Zona Maco Art Fair š¼ļø
Sat, Feb 8: Facial Beauty with Herbal Medicine š±
Sat, Feb 8: SaloĢn ACME šļø
Sun, Feb 9: Material Art Fair Vol 11 āš½
Wed, Feb 12: Mundo Lingo Social š¤
Sat, Feb 15: Brewery Exchange & Party šŗ
Sun, Feb 16: Yoga & Sound Healing at Chapu šŖ·
Mon, Feb 17: Mondays Art Club šļø
Fri, Feb 21: Frida Kahlo Immersive Exhibit šļø
Sat, Feb 22: Swan Lake Ballet at Bellas Artes š©°
Sun Feb 23: Mezcal y Amor Festival š„
ROCIO RECOMMENDS
If you love dramatic Mexican soap opera gifs as much as I do, youāll appreciate this gem. During the pandemic, I stumbled upon a Funny or Die YouTube channel that became my binge-worthy escape. Their hilarious recap of the iconic (and completely bonkers) Teresa is pure gold.
VIRAL VAULT
A special section of our newsletter for memes, reels and TikToks. Send your fave my way!
White women in Mexicoā¦
Big pharma in the US vs. Mexico
A chill Xochimilco outing doesnāt exist
Thanks for being a reader of CDMX if you know, you know! If you'd like to support this passion project (and my coffee habit āļø), feel free to buy me a coffee.
See you soon!