López Obrador thanks France and Italy for their collaboration in the celebration of the Bicentennial

President López Obrador listens to a letter read by Cardinal Rogelio Cabrera, Archbishop of Monterrey and president of the Mexican Episcopate.Sáshenka Gutiérrez / EFE

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has lavished praise this Monday on the governments of France and Italy for their collaboration in the celebrations of the Bicentennial of Independence. The president's message at the beginning of the commemorative events, which will culminate tonight with a representation of the entrance of the Trigarante Army into the capital, has been a staging of the strengthening of relations with the two European countries. First during the morning press conference, in which a brigadier general of the Carabineros corps has been decorated with the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest distinction granted to foreigners. Later, during the inauguration of an exhibition dedicated to "the greatness of Mexico", which has been installed thanks to loans from Paris and Rome.

López Obrador has also shown special gratitude to Pope Francis, who sent a congratulatory letter to the president of the Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Rogelio Cabrera López, inviting them to “heal the wounds” of the past.

The president has broken the protocol of the inauguration of the exhibition, inaugurated in the Museum of Anthropology and in the Ministry of Public Education, to launch a few thanks that, at the same time, have a diplomatic background.

He mentioned the support of the United States to go on to highlight "in a very prominent way" the intervention of the French Government.

"He was the one that lent us the most pieces for the exhibition," he said.

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“To give a special thanks to the Vatican, to Pope Francis, they gave us documents, pieces, like never before. And to thank in a very special way the Government of Italy, and its people, General Roberto Riccardi, who only lends us the pieces, but collects them from exhibitions, auctions, stolen pieces, heritage of the peoples, such as the case of so many archaeological pieces from Mexico that have been recovered by the Italian police ”, López Obrador continued in reference to the work of the commander of the brigade in charge of cultural heritage. The Mexican president has spoken of the "example" of France and Italy and has announced that he gave instructions for the National Guard to form a special team dedicated to combating trafficking in archaeological objects."Imagine if all countries had this same corporation," he said.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador presents the decoration of the Aztec Eagle in plaque degree to General Roberto Riccardi, commander of the Carabinieri of Italy.Sáshenka Gutiérrez / EFE

The president ended his speech with a mention "to all countries." “Maybe”, he acknowledged, “I omitted to mention any country, but they are all of them and this is your house. Mexico is synonymous with friendship between the peoples of the world and we are affiliated with the party of universal brotherhood ”. In the commemorative acts of the 200 years of independence, the absence of high representatives of Spain is significant, which reflects the coldness that surrounds relations with the Government of Pedro Sánchez. The disagreements began in early 2019, when López Obrador demanded an apology from Madrid and the Vatican for the excesses of the conquest. That forgiveness did not come. Although in all essentials the natural channels of cooperation have not been affected, this climate favored political friction.

Pope Francis recognizes in his letter, read publicly during the president's morning conference, that "to strengthen the roots it is necessary to re-read the past, taking into account both the lights and the shadows that have shaped the history of the country." "This retrospective look necessarily includes a process of purification of memory, that is, recognizing the mistakes made in the past, which have been very painful. For this reason, on various occasions both my predecessors and myself have asked forgiveness for personal and social sins, for all actions or omissions that did not contribute to evangelization, ”wrote Jorge Mario Bergoglio. However, Francis called not "to evoke the pains of the past" without moving forward, "but to learn from them and continue taking steps in order to heal the wounds,to cultivate an open and respectful dialogue between differences and to build the much desired fraternity, prioritizing the common good over particular interests, tensions and conflicts ”.

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