In a historic gesture, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has issued an official apology on Wednesday for the 1968 massacre of student protesters by the army, marking one of her first significant acts since taking office.
“October 2nd will not be forgotten!” Sheinbaum, who has described herself as the “daughter of ’68” and a former student activist, declared on the anniversary of the Tlatelolco massacre.
According to official records, 30 people were killed when security forces opened fire on students peacefully rallying in the Tlatelolco district of Mexico City, just days before the country hosted the Olympic Games. However, relatives and activists believe the actual death toll is closer to 400.
During her first press conference after being sworn in on Tuesday as Mexico’s first female president, Sheinbaum announced plans to issue a decree officially classifying the massacre as a crime against humanity. She also vowed that the country’s security forces would never again be used to “attack or repress the people of Mexico.”
Her remarks came hours before a planned protest in Mexico City, where demonstrators called for justice for the victims of the massacre, an event that has remained a deep scar in Mexico’s history.
Born to Bulgarian and Lithuanian Jewish migrants in Mexico City in the 1960s, Sheinbaum grew up in the midst of the social unrest that saw students and activists challenge the Institutional Revolutionary Party’s long-standing hold on power. Her mother, a university professor, lost her job after denouncing the massacre.
Later that day, thousands gathered for the annual demonstration commemorating the slain students. Among them were groups of protesters known as the “black bloc,” who threw stones and firecrackers at police officers guarding the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square and home to the presidential palace.
For some of those who lived through the tragedy, Sheinbaum’s apology, while significant, was not enough.
“It is not enough to apologize. We want justice… You can give apologies to your friends, but not to us who gave our lives to change this country,” said 90-year-old Oscar Menendez, a survivor of the 1968 events.
Angel Rodriguez, 76, another participant in the student movement, acknowledged the importance of Sheinbaum’s gesture, saying, “She was not obliged to offer that apology. It should have been previous presidents, immediately after the massacre.”
Sheinbaum, a scientist by profession, secured a landslide victory in the June elections with a commitment to continue the left-wing reforms of her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Lopez Obrador, who stepped down this week after six years in office due to Mexico’s single-term limit, left with an approval rating of around 70 percent, largely attributed to his policies favoring poorer Mexicans.
Sheinbaum is faced with the pressing issue of rampant criminal violence linked to drug trafficking and gangs, which has claimed more than 450,000 lives since 2006. She is expected to unveil her security plan next week to address these ongoing challenges.
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