Comedian Sofía Niño de Rivera Criticizes Cancún Service Workers for Speaking English

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Mexican comedian and influencer Sofía Niño de Rivera has sparked controversy after criticizing service workers in Cancún for speaking English instead of Spanish to visitors.

In a video posted to her social media accounts, Niño de Rivera expressed frustration that during a recent work trip to the popular tourist destination, Mexican service providers consistently addressed her in English first.

“I recently went to Cancún for work and stayed a couple of days, and I’m very angry,” she said. “Every time I interacted with any Mexican working in service, whether at the airport, in hotels, anywhere, the first thing they did was speak in English.”

The comedian argued that workers seem to assume all visitors are American or that “Americans have conquered the city.” She emphasized that this approach disrespects Mexico, even if some tourists pay in dollars.

“It seems like in Cancún they assume everyone is American,” Niño de Rivera continued. “I know Americans have conquered Cancún and it seems like it’s not ours anymore, I know that. But I think it’s disrespectful to our country that we speak another language just because those who visit most pay in dollars.”

She suggested that foreign tourists should make the effort to speak Spanish when visiting Mexico, not the other way around.

“You should always speak the language of the country you’re in,” she said. “Those who come to visit should learn to speak the language of the country they’re visiting. If the person doesn’t speak that language, they can ask, ‘Hey, do you speak English?'”

Niño de Rivera pointed to France as an example, where locals speak French to visitors rather than switching to English. She added that Americans visiting Mexico should remember they’re not in their own country.

“Let’s learn from Europeans, from the French,” she said. “In France everyone will speak their language, and if you understood, good. We all know Americans don’t like Spanish. We know that. But guess what? They’re not in their country, they’re in ours.”

The comedian concluded by asking Cancún residents not to “do the work for Americans” and stating that as a Mexican, she wants to speak her own language in her own country.