Digital Geohistory of the Defense of the Territory of Malacachtepec Momoxco (Milpa Alta district, Mexico City)

Abstract

This work presents a digital geo-history of territorial defense processes linked to the identity of the Nahua indigenous communities of Malacachtepec Momoxco, a district of Mexico City. Since the 1940s, this territory has been shaped by a constant tension between indigenous identity and the processes of the Mexico City expansion.
Drawing on information gathered through interviews, audiovisual recordings, and ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2022 and 2025, the geo-history documents two main periods: one at the end of the 20th century (as a precursor to contemporary territorial defense strategies) and another in the early 21st century. The latter period is structured around four significant moments for the Malacachtepec Momoxco community:
1. The successful community challenge to the imposition of a health facility (Centro de Salud Milpa Alta T-III) in 2021 whose construction deviated from previously agreed terms;
2. The annulment in 2022 of the election of the General Representative of Communal Goods due to serious irregularities in vote counting;
3. The opposition to the attempted approval of the General Urban Planning Program (Programa General de Ordenamiento Territorial, PGOT) without adequate consultation with the population; and
4. The ongoing process of imposition of the state-driven Cablebús megaproject in 2025.
The digital representation illustrates how identity in the originary community of Milpa Alta has acted as a galvanizing force that sustains community organization for the conservation and defense of territory in the face of externally driven transformation processes. Aimed at an audience with strong urban–rural characteristics, this work argues that a geo-history presented on an interactive mapping platform and accessible via mobile phones constitutes a powerful tool for disseminating territorial knowledge—particularly for making visible the strength and resilience of community agency.