The Torre Latinoamericana (English: Latin American Tower) is a skyscraper in downtown Mexico City.

Although the structure of the Hotel de México (now known as the WTC Mexico City) had already surpassed it a decade earlier, it wouldn't be finished until 1994.

The Torre Latinoamericana was built on the place which was formerly occupied by the animal house, some kind of zoo of the Tlatoani Mexica Moctezuma II.

Its design consists of a steel-frame construction and deep-seated piles, which were necessary given Mexico City's frequent earthquakes and muddy soil composition, which makes the terrain tricky to build on.

[citation needed] The tower gained notoriety when it withstood the magnitude 7.9 1957 earthquake, thanks to its outstanding design and strength.

However, an even greater test came, by far, with the magnitude 8.1 September 19, 1985 earthquake, which destroyed many buildings in Mexico City, especially the ones built downtown, in the tower's neighborhood.

[citation needed] While it was being built, detractors said that there was no way a building of that size could withstand one of Mexico City's earthquakes.

In 2002 seven of the 44 floors were purchased by Telcel and Banco Inbursa, both firms controlled by Mexican businessman Carlos Slim.