Breathe
By Lillian Briseño
Given the current situation in Mexico and the decision of who will be chosen to succeed President López Obrador, it is worth remembering the dialogue that takes place in one of the most iconic scenes of the novel La sombra del caudillo (The Shadow of the Caudillo ) by Martín Luis Guzmán (1929).
The context of this work is that of the succession in post-revolutionary Mexico, when the military had just won the war and many felt they had enough merits to reach the Executive. At this juncture, President Alvaro Obregón had to define which of his colleagues should remain at the head of the nation. The decision would have to be made between Generals Plutarco Elías Calles and Adolfo de la Huerta.
Based on these historical facts, in Martín Luis Guzmán's fiction the possible candidates for the Caudillo -Obregón- are Hilario Jiménez -Calles- or Ignacio Aguirre -de la Huerta.
