The Mexican Constitution forbids discrimination, including discrimination based on country of origin, but that does little to stop corruption in the country. The owner of Japan Nightclub in the Roma Norte neighborhood, Federico Crespo, has created a new cover charge of $5,000 MXN for U.S. Citizens, $350 MXN for other foreigners, but Mexicans and those from Latin America pay only $250 MXN. Crespo also stated that, “This is a response to a year of insults directed at us – as a country – by the United States, and, it’s very much a response to the many attacks against Mexico from Trump.”
Apparently, like his brothers in arms who have real estate holdings in Mexico City and have increased rents for foreigners, he thinks he is entitled to fill his own pockets with cash in protest for what he considers a response to the “gentrification and touristification” of Mexico City. Perhaps no one can blame Crespo for being upset over Trumps words about Mexico, as even millions of U.S. Citizens who live in Mexico find fault with Trump. But Crespo is stepping over the line by assuming he can violate his country’s constitution and attempt to gain personal riches by repeating Trump’s words.
Crespo attempted to disguise his get-rich-quick scheme by stating, “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.” Now, Crespo is sounding like Trump with his double-talk, trying to hide what he really means. Or does he actually believe his own words are truthful?
Crespo said the extra money from the cover charges was distributed among his business’s workers. “It’s a way to give that money to the people most affected by this issue: rising rents, the soaring cost of living and the need to commute longer distances to get to work. By giving the workers the money collected from cover charges, we help them out a little bit.” No, sorry, but giving the money to a select few is not really affecting the people most affected. Tell that to those living in Iztapalapa or Milpa Alta who cannot get jobs and earn enough to feed their families.
Crespo also said the tiered pricing reflected deteriorating Mexico-US relations under Donald Trump, but he again fails to explain how putting more money into his own pocket will improve Mexico-U.S. relations.
Bets are being taken on how long it will take the Mexican Government and PROFECO to resolve the matter with Crespo. In Mexico, discrimination against foreigners—including based on national origin or migratory status—is prohibited by the constitution and federal law. Penalties vary depending on the context and severity, ranging from administrative fines of approximately $27,142.00 MXN to over $542,000 MXN per offense, and may include imprisonment.
Yes, Mexico takes violation of the Constitution and especially discrimination very seriously.
Guerra de Los Pasteles
Strangely enough, Crespo’s idea is beginning to ring like a reversal of the “Guerra de Los Pasteles” of 1838. The Pastry War began with the greedy actions of one man who set off a war that resulted in the deaths of soldiers on both sides and the bombing of Veracruz, which resulted in many more civilian casualties. The Pastry War occurred when Monsieur Remontel, the owner of a bakery in Tacubaya, claimed that members of Santa Anna’s government looted his bakery during a period of civil unrest. Remontel demanded 60,000 pesos as reparations for the damage, even though his entire shop and inventory were valued at less than 1,000 pesos at the time.
When then-President Anastasio Bustamante refused to pay Remontel, the French prime minister, Louis-Mathieu Molé, upped the ante, demanding 600,000 MXN in damages from Mexico. When this went unpaid, Molé ordered a fleet under Rear Admiral Charles Baudin to declare and carry out a blockade of all Mexican ports on the Gulf of Mexico from Yucatán to the Rio Grande. They bombarded the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulúa and seized the city of Veracruz, the most important port on the Gulf Coast. French forces captured Veracruz by December 1838, and Mexico declared war on France. The French eventually won a guarantee of payment when Great Britain joined them in Veracruz.
Mexico Needs Foreign Investment
In reality, anyone who can think properly can see the problem and the potential damage that anti-constitutional thinking creates. There is a reason the Mexican Government has not shut down the border to foreigners. Foreigners bring in more money to the government than all of the Nationals living in Mexico. Mexico receives at least $16.51 trillion MXN in incoming foreign revenue alone. Compare this to the total of $2.8 Trillion MXN paid by Mexican Nationals in 2025. It is easy to see that each Mexican National living in Mexico would have to pay the difference to make up the shortfall if Mexico closed the border.
No country is an island
It is true that no country is a completely self-sufficient “island” in the modern world. In 2026, international trade is fundamental, and all nations rely on imports and exports to maintain their current standards of living, economic stability, and, in many cases, basic survival. While some countries could theoretically survive in isolation, they would face severe economic depression, technological stagnation, and a significant drop in their quality of life.
Why Countries Depend on Trade
Resource Inequality: Natural resources (oil, rare minerals, fertile land) are not evenly distributed. For example, Japan must import most of its energy, while many Middle Eastern nations import food.
Specialization & Efficiency: Global supply chains allow countries to specialize in producing goods where they have a comparative advantage (producing more efficiently), leading to lower prices and higher wealth.
Modern Complexity: High-tech products like semiconductors require raw materials and components from different parts of the world, making total domestic production nearly impossible.
Food Security: According to a 2025 study, only one country (Guyana) is fully self-sufficient across all seven key food groups, meaning every other nation is, to some degree, vulnerable to food shortages without imports.
The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency
Even large economies often described as “independent” are deeply interconnected:
United States/China: While they have vast internal resources, their manufacturing sectors rely on complex, global supply chains for components, making them vulnerable to economic shocks if trade were cut off.
Island Nations: Small nations like Singapore or Iceland would face an immediate existential crisis (food/energy shortages) without imports.
Food Production: Many countries that produce plenty of food, like Brazil, still rely heavily on imports for necessities like fertilizers.
The Consequence of Isolation
If a country stopped importing and exporting, it would likely face severe consequences:
Shortages & High Prices: Critical goods like fuel, electronics, and medicine would become scarce or unavailable.
Economic Collapse: For many nations, a halt in trade would cause a dramatic reduction in GDP, high unemployment, and stagnation
Technological Stagnation: A lack of imported technology and innovation would cause industries to become obsolete.
While some countries may have low trade-to-GDP ratios (like the U.S. or Ethiopia), this usually indicates a diversified economy rather than complete independence from foreign goods.
Greed is greed, no matter what color you paint it or how flowery the words used to describe it.
Author: G. William Hood
Author, Columnist, Educator, Epistemologist, and Publisher
