A Mexico City nightclub has sparked a viral backlash by charging American citizens a cover fee of nearly £240 ($300), while Mexicans and other Latin Americans pay just £11 ($14). The club, Japan in the Roma Norte neighbourhood, announced the tiered pricing on Instagram, where it has been liked over 26,000 times.
The club's owner, Federico Crespo, said the policy was a response to what he described as a year of insults directed at Mexico by the United States under Donald Trump. 'This is a response to a year of insults directed at us – as a country – by the United States,' he said. 'It’s very much a response to the many attacks against Mexico from Trump.'
The club's Instagram post stated: 'It’s not that “we charge gringos more” it’s that we offer discounts to people that need it. The cover charge is $5,000 [pesos]. Citizens of the USA don’t get a discount.' Citizens from other countries receive a 93% discount, while Mexicans and Latin Americans get 95% off, and students and teachers pay just 150 pesos.
Crespo said the pricing also reflects a backlash against the 'gentrification and touristification' of Mexico City, driven by an influx of American 'digital nomads' during the pandemic. He said the extra money from American cover charges is distributed among workers, who are most affected by rising rents and living costs.
The move comes amid broader tensions in Mexico City, where protests have turned violent, with marchers smashing windows and graffiti reading 'Get out of Mexico.' The rise of digital nomads has led to a proliferation of Airbnbs, soaring rents, and a shift in the urban environment, with English heard as much as Spanish in some areas.
