Attack in Washington: Sheinbaum speaks out
Over the weekend, a lone shooter disrupted the White House correspondents’ dinner. Donald Trump and his wife Melania were there, along with Vice President JD Vance. Shooting, evacuation, panic. But the American president emerged unscathed.
Claudia Sheinbaum wasted no time. In her morning conference, the Mexican president was clear: “We must always be against violence, and even more political violence to solve problems.” And he said what many expected: “Democracy is a way to resolve differences.”
“So we can never support a violent act and that is why we were the first country to send a message of solidarity” — Claudia Sheinbaum
The detail? Mexico was the first country to show support. Fast, yes. But also predictable. Every time there is an attack on a foreign leader, governments are quick to condemn. What’s interesting here is how Sheinbaum avoided any ambiguity: he didn’t even mention parties or ideologies. Only democracy vs violence.
The attack: an uncomfortable reminder
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, forced a security check in the hotel lobby at around 8:36 p.m. Right at the doors of the room where the powerful dined. A “lone shooter,” according to authorities. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Another political event marred by gunpowder.
Sheinbaum took the opportunity to remember the obvious but necessary: political violence is never a solution. And although it may sound like an institutional cliché, in times where debates are heated to the boiling point, hearing a leader say that differences are resolved through dialogue—not shooting—has weight.
But here’s my dose of surgical skepticism: how many times have we heard speeches like this before another scandal breaks? Collective memory is fragile when it suits power.
