The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, reiterated in her morning conference the importance of Spain apologizing to the indigenous peoples of Mexico for the conquest. She highlighted two examples by showing videos of apologies from the United States and the United Kingdom to indigenous groups.
Previously, Sheinbaum shared a video in which the President of the United States, Joe Biden, apologized to Native American peoples for the atrocities committed. She also showed a moment when King Charles III of the United Kingdom acknowledged the crimes against oceanic Aboriginal nations during a conference in Samoa.
These gestures of apology from other nations stand out in the context of a diplomatic dispute prior to Sheinbaum's assumption of office when Mexico did not invite the King of Spain for not responding to the request for an apology. In response, the Spanish Government decided not to send any representative to the inauguration ceremony of the new Mexican president.
The absence of a Spanish representative at Sheinbaum's inauguration represents a new moment of bilateral tension, adding to the declaration of a "pause" in relations by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in February 2022. López Obrador accused Spanish companies of alleged abuses in the Mexican energy sector, which has generated additional friction between the two countries.
In Sheinbaum's words during her conference, the comparison with the apologies offered by King Charles and President Joe Biden highlights the importance of recognizing and repairing past injustices. She concluded her remarks with the question: "If they apologized, why doesn't Spain?"
