Breathe
By Raquel López-Portillo Maltos
In politics, frequently, form is substance. These words attributed to Jesús Reyes Heroles have not lost their validity, as every wink and every omission has an important weight, both in the national and international arena. This year's Military Civic Parade is no exception; the guests, the absentees, the declarations and the deafening silences posed a worrisome background that intertwines authoritarian fondness, democratic disdain and military exaltation.
Undoubtedly, the fact that among the participants in the parade, contingents from countries such as Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and El Salvador stood out. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the delegations "exalted" the ceremony by reaffirming the brotherhood that unites Mexico with nations from America, Europe and Asia. Perhaps what is not clear to some is that the problem is not the invitation to foreign delegations, which can be interpreted as a diplomatic gesture and has been done since past administrations. The real problem lies in the context in which these invitations were made and how this event has been used to celebrate and give voice to dictatorial regimes.
Although the Russian army had previously paraded, it is implausible how its attendance can be accommodated at a time when its leader is facing criminal charges for committing war crimes by invading a sovereign state. As the Ukrainian ambassador to Mexico, Oksana Dramarétska, rightly pointed out, this gesture underscores the lack of coherence in Mexican foreign policy during this six-year term and, furthermore, undermines the country's credibility in the defense of human rights and democracy.
In the case of El Salvador, while a representation of its troops were in Mexican territory, a part of the Salvadoran citizenry celebrated the independence anniversary by marching against the potential reelection of Nayib Bukele and to demand the end of the regime of exception that has allowed, through the suspension of constitutional guarantees, the violation of the human rights of thousands of people. It is worth noting that, like the administration of President López Obrador, Bukele has been the president who has granted the most economic resources and political power to the army since the civil war. As for Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela, perhaps we would see more such protests if the cost of demonstrating freely and peacefully were not so high.
Contrary to the evident closeness shown with such regimes, the absence of the representatives of the legislative and judicial branches marked the president's disdain for these two pillars of Mexican democracy. While the confrontation with the Supreme Court had been open discursively, particularly after the appointment of Norma Piña as presiding minister, arguing that it was not required when accusing the highest court of imparting justice of being corrupt and protector of the "oligarchy" and "white-collar crime", leads to a new escalation. This is not reduced to a tantrum of the President, but rather a break with a tradition where the representation of the public powers in this celebration is shown precisely as a triumph of independent Mexico. Beyond this, despite the fact that the court invalidated the legal reform that transferred the National Guard to SEDENA, as was seen in the parade, its structure continues to be profoundly military, with the consequences that this entails.
The national holidays are always a good time to reflect on national affairs. On this occasion, the event leaves much food for thought, among the attendees, the absentees, and the silence regarding the event that overshadowed the celebrations: the extradition of Ovidio Guzmán to the United States . Especially, it makes us think about what is at stake with each attack on the institutions that founded us as a nation and about the role we want to play in a highly complex international scenario. In the words of President López Obrador himself at last year's Mexican Revolution parade: "Dictatorships or oligarchies do not guarantee peace or social tranquility (...) democratic governments can only be successful if they meet the demands of the majorities and, consequently, get in return, as a reward, the support of the people".
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of Opinion 51.
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