Mexico reaffirms its ‘special link’ with Cuba with the visit of Diaz-Canel on Independence Day

The commemorative events for Mexico’s Independence, which begin this Wednesday night, will have a controversial protagonist this year. The invitation of the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, who will take part in the official ceremony tomorrow alongside Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has stirred up the celebrations amid demonstrations of rejection by opposition leaders. The Mexican president has defended the visit assuring that the country “has its doors open to all rulers.” Diaz-Canel, who arrives in Mexico City two months after protests against his government amid growing population overcrowding, will also join the summit of the Commonwealth of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) that is held on Saturday in the capital.

“He will be at the ceremony on the 16th,” confirmed López Obrador, who assured that he also invited Joe Biden to the events of September 27, although the US president will not be able to attend and will send to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The participation in the military parade of the top leader of the Cuban regime aroused controversy when it came to a special guest, who will also give a speech. “Both civilian and military authorities are invited to the December festivities, they come from all over the world, they are invited to Mexico. Then we cannot invite some and not others,” the president justified.

The vindication of the idea of ​​sovereignty, one of the axes of the political action of Government, flies over the visit. Just a few weeks ago, López Obrador asked Biden to end the economic blockade in Cuba and soon “make a decision” in this regard. “It is a respectful call, from no interference point of view, but we must separate the politician from the humanitarian, life is the most important thing, it is the main human rights,” said the president. Díaz-Canel asked for help in person by letter and Mexico sent two shipments of humanitarian aid and medical supplies in late July.

“We are a free, sovereign country,” the president added, referring to Article 89 of the Constitution, which states that the executive must act in diplomacy in accordance with the principles of “non-intervention.” the self-determination of peoples “and respect for human rights, among others. “This is our foreign policy, so that’s why we invite everyone. Mexico has its doors open to all rulers, we are friends of all the peoples of the world,” he said. In the middle of the July mobilizations, he had also come out in defense of the Cuban president: “There must be no interventionism. The health situation in the Cuban people must not be used for political purposes. This must be set aside. No politicization, no media campaigns, which are already taking place worldwide. “

Díaz-Canel already attended the inauguration of López Obrador in 2018 and almost a year later returned for an official visit. Before traveling, this Wednesday, he wrote on his Twitter account that “the Mexican Revolution was a source of deep inspiration for the Latin American revolutionary movement” accompanying the phrase on the label “Fidel viu.” President Castro, who died in 2016, traveled the country a dozen times. He did so during PRRI terms and also under PA’s Vicente Fox. On this occasion, the former Mexican ruler asked his Cuban counterpart to leave the 2002 Extraordinary Summit of the Americas to avoid an awkward meeting with George W. Bush. According to an audio broadcast by Havana, he said: “It’s not very friendly to let you know at the last minute that you’re showing up here … I don’t know when you intend to come, but my proposal would be for you to come on Thursday … that take part in the session, make your presentation.Then we have a breakfast, which is offered by the governor of the state to the heads of state.I even offer you to be at this lunch and sit by my side and that you have already finished the ‘event you’ll come back, let me be free on Friday, don’t complicate me on Friday.’

Now, one of the politicians who has most criticized Diaz-Canel’s visit has been former Pan-American president Felipe Calderon. coming to call the Cuban “genocide and dictator” and compare him to Hitler. “Well, it’s good that he doesn’t like it. Out of masks,” López Obrador replied.

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