Mexico’s first female president is a champion for independence
To the Editor:
It was great to see The Catholic Messenger’s June 6 article, “Bishops congratulate Mexico’s first female president.” The article seems to miss the point, though. In the case of Dra. Claudia Sheinbaum being elected president of Mexico, the relevant news story is that she represents a continuation of a strong leftist-nationalist movement in that country. Such movements promote the increased independence of Latin American countries from what is perceived as the evil of the United States’ patriarchal control. This independence is a great thing and in my opinion, we should first be giving our congratulations to that aspect of the historic event.
Instead, the authors of the article decided to give us their opinion that Sheinbaum’s overwhelming popular support “is overshadowed by the killing of candidates and questions over the future of the country’s democratic institutions.” As one might expect, the extent of these problems is a matter of debate among Mexicans. However, what overshadows even that, in my opinion, is the fact that so many in Mexico are trying to free the country from the United States’ influence.
This influence is represented historically in the Monroe Doctrine, which has caused much resentment in Latin America. Sheinbaum’s election is a promising sign of a new and better distribution of power and resources in the Western Hemisphere.
Tadd Ruetenik
Moline, Illinois
