By Ryan Fatica
Tijuana, Mexico — In the heart of downtown Tijuana, less than a kilometer from the San Yisidro Port of Entry and blocks away from the most popular nightlife and tourist areas of the city, migrants rest on the stairs of a café while passersby lean on the bar, sipping what may be the best and cheapest espresso in the city.
The café, called Enclave Rabia Caracol, is run by a collective and organized around anarchist values—a commitment to non-hierarchical relationships, autonomy, mutual aid, and self-determination.
Enclave “was founded on anarchist principles” said Betania, a longtime volunteer and friend of the project. And it has “tried to reject any kind of authority or hierarchy. They’ve kept trying to maintain their anarchist principles and to defend themselves as an anarchist space.”
On a given day, the five story building (including basement and roof top rooms) houses a variety of projects and dozens of people pass through its open doors.“We have a café, we have a community kitchen where we prepare the free meals. We have a community bike shop in the basement and we have space for events, shows…theater,” explained Nat, a longtime organizer and collective member of Enclave. “We try to make the space available for the community to use as they please.”
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