Request for forgiveness and culture
President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed to King Felipe VI the importance of Spain complying with the request for an apology to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. “Fortunately, 28 million Mexican men and women recognize themselves as indigenous; 68 languages are spoken in Mexico,” he noted.
The president stressed that the recognition of pre-Hispanic civilizations and the resistance of these peoples are fundamental for national identity. “We said no to racism, classism and any discrimination,” he said. The monarch listened and proposed including the topic at the indigenous peoples’ table during the Ibero-American summit in November in Madrid.
As a result, they agreed to send three exhibitions to Spain: one on Mayan culture, another on Spanish refugees, and one dedicated to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Sheinbaum highlighted that the meeting was possible thanks to the king’s previous visit to an exhibition on indigenous women in Madrid, where he recognized “abuses committed during the arrival of the Spanish.”
Both leaders also discussed trade, economics and the United Nations Charter. “It was a very cordial meeting; he’s a very down-to-earth person,” Sheinbaum said. After the dialogue, they visited the mural “The Epic of the Mexican People” by Diego Rivera. The king then left for Guadalajara to attend the Spanish team’s match.




