The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, during her morning conference, expressed her opinion on the actor and aspiring politician Eduardo Verástegui, accusing him of promoting an ultraright, racist, and classist discourse. Sheinbaum questioned the authenticity of Verástegui's political beliefs and doubted the impact that his political party, Movimiento Viva México, might have in the country.
In response to questions from the press, Sheinbaum mentioned that this type of discourse is rejected by the Mexican people and emphasized the importance of continuing to denounce and discuss it publicly. The president highlighted the awareness and historical knowledge of the Mexican people, which, in her opinion, makes it difficult for ultraright positions like those promoted by Verástegui to take root in Mexico.
The National Electoral Institute of Mexico recently authorized Verástegui to begin the process of forming his political party after the actor unsuccessfully tried to run as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential elections due to a lack of sufficient citizen signatures. Verástegui has stood out for his stance against abortion and LGBTI rights, linking the fame he achieved in the soap operas of the 1990s with his current political activism.
Verástegui's closeness to former U.S. President Donald Trump has generated controversy in Mexico, with accusations that he was used by Trump to connect with Hispanic communities in the United States. In particular, the greeting made by Verástegui at a conservative convention in the United States, which was compared to similar gestures made by Elon Musk and Steve Bannon, has sparked criticism and has been interpreted as a reference to the Nazi salute.
In this context, Sheinbaum reaffirmed the importance of continuing to debate and denounce extremist political discourses in Mexico, while highlighting that the history and consciousness of the Mexican people constitute an obstacle to the spread of ultrarightist positions in the country.
