#1 Superbarrio
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Superbarrio (Location: Mexico City
Reason for Fighting: To protect poor people's right to housing
Nemisis: Greedy landlords and inept beureaucrats
Means of Transport: Barriomobile
Hidden beneath a red and gold luchadore mask is a Mexico City man who has gone to great lengths to keep poor tenants in their homes. Superbarrio is regarded in some circles with the same sort of awe children reserve for Batman or Spider-Man. And while he isn't as fit as either of them, he is very effective.
In 1985, an 8.2 earthquake rocked Mexico City, destroying thousands of homes and taking more than 10,000 lives. In the wake of this crushing tragedy, the demand for homes rocketed, leaving many of Mexico City's poverty-stricken denizens unable to find a place to live. That's when Superbarrio Gomez (real name unknown), found his calling.
"One day when I was in my room, I was enveloped in a brilliant red and yellow light, and when it dissipated, I was dressed this way," he explained in 1988. "Then a voice said to me, 'You are Super Barrio, defender of tenants and scourge of greedy landlords.'"
Superbarrio ended up running for President of Mexico in 1988, and while he wasn't ever a serious contender, he made his tenants' and squatters' rights platform a serious issue.
While Superbarrio is still a folk hero in Mexico City, where dolls and T-shirts with his image are common, he keeps a lower profile these days. Even though he isn't as active, his spirit and cause lives on.
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