Breathe
By Nelly Segura
The story of Hortensia Telésforo Jiménez could be the script of a Mexican movie from the middle of the last century: a teacher who fights for her town and rescues a library is harassed until she is imprisoned. But this reality surpasses any script and does not take place on a movie screen, but here, in Xochimilco, the cultural cradle of Mexico City, in the middle of 2024.
The Casa del Pueblo Tlamachtiloyan of Atlapulco, a symbol of the identity and autonomy of San Gregorio Atlapulco, had been ignored and shamefully used by those who now accuse it. After the 2017 earthquake, this space, once a library, was left in oblivion, turned into a place for private parties, while the community watched with indignation as a piece of its history crumbled, there at the top of the hill.
But Hortensia, a 61-year-old woman with a tender appearance and soft eyes, demonstrates a strength that disarms any assumptions about her fragility. Though delicate in appearance, her appearance changes dramatically when she speaks firmly. His deep voice and profound knowledge of the law and its causes reflect an unwavering determination. Along with other brave inhabitants of San Gregorio, she did not allow the abandonment and indifference of the authorities to bury the legacy of her ancestors. After working tables that were broken by Martí Batres, then a member of Claudia Sheinbaum's cabinet, the community decided to take the reins of their destiny and recover the Casa del Pueblo, returning it to its true owner: the people.
