The candidate for the presidency of Mexico for the Morena party met with migrant leaders, workers and their supporters; she talks about consulates and immigration reform.
Story & Photo by Araceli Martinez Ortega (English translation by Google) | La Opinion | OCT. 22, 2023
Thousands of Mexican migrants, 4-T supporters crowded the iconic Million Dollar Theater in downtown Los Angeles to listen to and support the candidate for the presidency of Mexico for the Morena party, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum.
"We will continue to work so that the consulates are a space of protection for Mexicans. A little progress has been made, but we want to make more progress," Sheinbaum said at a press conference, prior to the tumultuous and emotional meeting he held with Mexican supporters of his cause.
"We want to further promote the work of the consulates so that they are not just promoters of the commercial relationship. We went through two years of pandemic, which prevented some of the actions we wanted to do from being carried out, but now we are facing a great opportunity to make progress."
At the Millión Dollar Theater, the migrants were overwhelmed, they yelled at her president! President!, at the same time that she chanted "it's an honor to be with the best!".
The historic scenario with capacity for 2,000 people was filled to the full, while hundreds were left outside without being able to enter to listen to the message due to the lack of quota.
Sheinbaum told the migrants that he knew that out of necessity they decided to come to the United States to look for a new life for their families.
"For us you are a homeland, you are a nation, you are life, you give strength to the migrant families of our country," said the presidential candidate, sting the spirits of her followers, while she was completely moved by the displays of affection of her supporters from different parts of the country and California.
In the morning, Sheinbaum had met with the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.
"We talk about many topics, especially visions. I loved the mayor's vision because it has to do with a humanist vision that we have. She is dealing with the issue of people who do not have a home and other problems with a humanist vision and on that we agree. I was left to invite her when we take office," said the former Head of Government of Mexico City.
He added that with California there is a very close relationship, an impressive family, commercial and cultural bond. "He has to follow that relationship and we want it to be strengthened."
Sheinbaum, who is officially the coordinator of the defense committees of the 4-T, was received on Friday at almost midnight at Los Angeles International Airport by about 200 people and a musical group of Huichols from the state of Jalisco, Mexico.
Saturday began his day very early with a meeting at the facilities of the local International Service Workers Union 1877 led by David Huerta, which was attended by about 350 community leaders, including Angélica Salas of the Coalition for the Rights of Migrants (CHIRLA).
When asked what shocked him most about that meeting, he said without a second thought that he would listen to Rosa López, a woman who works as a janitor (conserge)
"I was very shocked, not only because of what these women who dedicate themselves to this noble profession suffer, but because it spreads that strength of women in struggle."
But he also acknowledged that he was shocked to listen to migrant organizations fighting for their rights.
"Migrants must have a fundamental space. For years, Mexicans living in the United States were not treated as part of Mexico. If there was talk of countrymen and countrywomen, but not with the recognition that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has now given them."
And he added: "Mexicans not only have a fundamental weight in Mexico's economy because of the remittances they send but in the economy of the United States, and we want that to be recognized. That is why we will continue to insist on immigration reform and development cooperation from North America to Central America."
Sheinbaum said that if he reaches the presidency of Mexico, he will continue to talk to the United States government about immigration reform.
"Emigration reform depends on the United States Congress and we have to change this narrative because building walls does not lead us to a better relationship. What we have to do is continue developing communication bridges between the two countries."
He considered that the best way to resolve migration is to address the causes as in the case of violence.
"To attend to the causes means cooperation for development and invest so that people do not have to emigrate. President Biden said it when he was at the meeting at the National Palace before President López Obrador and the president of Canada, families do not migrate for pleasure, they migrate out of necessity."
He made it to see that this is the narrative that they will continue to support because it is the most human, and at least it will help reduce the migration problem.
"At the same time we will continue to fight for the recognition of the rights of Mexicans who have lived in the United States for many years and who contribute to the economy and have the right to have rights."
To the Mexicans who live here, he told them that they will continue to have the support of the government of Mexico to be treated with dignity in the United States.
"Above all, we want to continue working so that living conditions in Mexico develop and Mexicans do not have to emigrate."
He explained that even with the limitations imposed on him by the Mexican Electoral Institute (INE) to only have events in closed spaces with militants and sympathizers, which led them to cancel the event in the Placita Olvera and move it to the Million Dollar Theater, he wanted to come to Los Angeles because it is the second city with the most Mexicans outside of Mexico.
"It is very significant that we are here because of what Los Angeles represents for our country."
Regarding security in Mexico, he said that fortunately the crime rate is decreasing.
"It is important that here in the United States it is known that most of the criminal incidents are decreasing. Of course we are missing. To achieve this, we have to attend to the causes and prevention so that no man or woman has to approach a criminal gang and have other opportunities for development, education, access to education, culture and a different life.
He added that they will also reduce insecurity, creating different community ties.
"It has been promoted through many television series that approaching a gang of criminals leads to a life of luxury, and that can make a young man think that there is an opportunity for life when in fact it is an opportunity for death."
Sheinbaum said that he has a lot of ties to Northern California because he lived there for four years; when he studied his postgraduate course at the University of California at Berkeley, while living in the Stanford University home where his ex-husband studied.
"I lived with my family and my children. I have nice memories but I also remember that when I was there we fought for the right of Mexicans to vote from abroad.
"We also had the entry of Free Trade, and we said that it was fair trade not unequal between Mexico and the United States."
He recalled that when Carlos Salinas (former president of Mexico) went to Stanford to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the university, many Mexicans who were studying in the United States raised their voices.
"The poster I raised, said Fair Trade, Democracy Now"
He revealed that he also has a sister and niece living in California.
The aspiring to govern Mexico invited all Mexicans to register to vote in the next elections in Mexico.
"It is very important that they have the right to decide what is going to happen in our country."
Mario Delgado, the president of the Morena party, who accompanied Sheinbaum, said that part of the objective of the visit was to organize the migrants. "The register that the INE has registered does not exceed one and a half million. Now the consulates have opened the possibility for them to arrive without an appointment to apply for their voter's credential, and they must register their desire to participate in the elections before February 20."
He added that the goal is to get half a million migrants to vote in the presidential elections of 2024, and to exceed the 68,000 votes that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had in 2018.
"That is very important to empower the Mexican community abroad; and it can serve to increase the low electoral participation that migrants have in the United States, and that they also assert their rights."
Maribel Solache, who came from San Diego to the Million Dollar Theater event, said that Claudia's message seemed intelligent to her and denoted that she is a prepared woman.
"She realized that we Mexicans want the transformation to continue in Mexico. I'm leaving very excited because it's women's time and in Mexico we're going to have a president of the left," said Maribel, who left at 8 in the morning to arrive at the meeting at noon in Los Angeles.
Óscar Valdez came in a caravan of three Van cars with 15 people from San Diego to listen to Sheinbaum's message.
"I'm leaving very happy. And this event was just to give Claudia a taste of what the Mexican people in the United States are capable of; I'm glad that they have realized our strength."
