Federico Reyes Heroles
Cold night, we walk through the main square of our country, among the buildings that have been silent witnesses of a thousand battles. That strange and symbolic conjunction of the Executive Power, the National Palace, where Juarez died, home of the neoclassical hall, where the Chamber of Deputies was settled since 1829. There, the Constitution of 1857 was discussed and promulgated, with Masonic presence, in addition to other central laws. Important presidential oaths took place there. Paradoxically, this palace, surrounded by aggressive metal screens that cut off the beautiful Corregidora Street, symbolizes the Republic.
A few meters away, the Supreme Court, our highest court, is another symbol of the division of powers. In front of the main entrance, the crosses for the dead in the ABC Day Care Center. The Zócalo was empty, except for a few workers preparing the stage and the sound system. In the background is the Cathedral, with its beautiful Sacrarium. In front of it was the seat of the capital’s government. As Elias Canetti explained, many memories of different collective calls, that invitation to stop being individuals and become someone else. In the center, the monumental flagpole, not for “the” flag, but for “our” flag, as Germán Dehesa always claimed.
Cold night of mixed emotions. The citizens’ demand now, as Lorenzo Cordova would clearly explain, is born from the multiple threats to our freedoms and our democracy: access to justice is part of democracy, the right to information is part of democracy, freedom of the press, electoral institutions, the complementary role of the media, respect for journalists and citizens, for minorities. Plurality is guaranteed with a long-accumulated history, from party deputies, proportional representation, the autonomy of the Electoral Institute (IFE-INE), the Electoral Tribunal, and much more. Tocqueville warns that every minority must be able to become a majority. That is at stake.
I had mixed emotions because the predictable response was the insult. According to SPIN, the favorite slurs are “conservatives” and “neoliberals”, all by the thousands, corrupts, racists, classists, hypocrites, and so on. Which one would he choose from his repertoire? In a few hours, we would know them: corrupts, “they disguise themselves as democrats”, defenders of a “corrupt oligarchy”. And in chorus, his “corcholata“, would not stay behind, in the INE headquarters that they want to destroy; she stated: “It is important, and more so in this venue, to point out the falsehood and hypocrisy of those who speak or march for democracy when at the time they promoted electoral frauds or never saw the purchase of votes…” and from there she jumped to qualify them as promoters of “…discrimination and classism”. Continuity as a project includes disqualification and insult.
Mixed emotions, because it is impossible to forget Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas there and, of course, the question arises, where was the left, Martínez Verdugo, who negotiated the electoral reform of 1977 or Rincón Gallardo or Heberto Castillo? What would the brilliant mind of González de Alba say today? Corrupts? But on the podium was Woldenberg, who led from INE the process that brought Fox to power. And Córdova López Obrador. That is why Roger Bartra, another leftist democrat, called for the march. Also at the top was our dear Mariclaire (Acosta), one of the pioneers in the defense of Human Rights in Mexico. Much is owed to the left in this country, such as to the PAN of Gómez Morín, Luis H. Álvarez, Castillo Peraza, and Clouthier. Also, PRI democrats pushed from within.
Mixed emotions, because “our flag” was not present. They want to appropriate it, like the rest of the institutions. Mixed emotions, because in fits and starts and with stumbles, but our democracy advanced. And today, there is a feeling of betrayal in that struggle.
The most popular slogan there was, and by far: “narco-president”. The steel screens are understood.
Further Reading: