Politicizing History: Sheinbaum vs. Ayuso
Last week, the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, traveled to Mexico at the invitation of local authorities and participated in various public events. As is usual for her, and as was foreseeable, much of her speech revolved around a vindication of Hernán Cortés, the Conquest, and the brotherhood between Spaniards and Mexicans. The response from the president of Mexico was almost immediate and quite hostile, as it is well known that her perspective on the shared history of both countries is different and highly critical of the phenomena that Ayuso praises. The tension escalated, there were some incidents, and finally, the regional president of Madrid canceled her visit and returned to Spain.
Politicizing History: Sheinbaum vs. Ayuso Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, visited Mexico and praised Hernán Cortés and the Conquest, drawing a hostile response from Mexico’s president, who views the shared history critically. The incident illustrates how history is increasingly used as a political tool, which the article argues is a misguided populist tactic. True democratic politics, it contends, should focus on pragmatic management for citizen welfare rather than revisiting historical grievances.
- Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, visited Mexico and invoked historical figures and events, leading to a diplomatic incident.
- Mexico’s president responded critically, highlighting differing historical perspectives between the two nations.
- The article argues that using history for political purposes is a populist tactic that inflames base passions and distracts from pragmatic governance.
- It asserts that democratic politics should focus on citizen welfare and efficient management, not on historical disputes. https://www.eluniversal.com.co/opinion/columna/2026/05/12/politizar-la-historia-sheinbaum-vs-ayuso/
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