Mexico Demands Apology from Spain as Trump Bears Down

“The ‘Spain Affair’ is not a foreign policy strategy, but a national strategy to achieve López Obrador’s political goals. At 7 am tomorrow, we are convinced a new controversy regarding Mexico’s foreign policy will arise. This is not over yet.”

Every morning at 7am President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) stands before dozens of politicians, journalists, and consultants to announce his plans for social programs, new political strategies, and other tidbits. On the morning of March 26th—two days after his government sent letters to the King of Spain, Philip VI, and the Vatican demanding apologies for the Spanish Conquest of Mexico—he said: “We were only asking for an apology.” Only an apology? We believe that if a government is asking for colonial pardon it should not take the situation lightly nor hastily; apologies are an important diplomatic mechanism that should be used thoughtfully.

In late March, President López Obrador and Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard sent out two letters to the Spanish King and Pope Francis that urged both leaders to “apologize to the indigenous peoples [of Mexico] for the violations of what we now call their human rights” and other transgressions committed by conquistadors 500 years ago. They demanded the apologies be performed publicly before 2021. Later that week, the Spanish government released a statement “firmly rejecting” López Obrador’s assertion, highlighting that “the arrival of Spaniards 50 decades ago to present-day Mexican territory cannot be judged in light of contemporary considerations.” In addition to the King’s response, Pope Francis stated that in 2015 the Vatican had already issued an apology for the “many and grave sins committed against the indigenous peoples of the Americas” during the time of colonization and evangelization. The Pope also rejected Mexico’s invitation to visit the country again, claiming that he had more countries to go to. Funny enough, the former invitation was made by the Mexican clergy to commemorate 500 years of the evangelization of Mexico—a.k.a. the fall of Tenochtitlan and the conquest of Mexico.

While Spaniards and Mexicans were under a constant bombardment of criticism and mockery and the Mexican Administration worried about handling its relationship with Spain, President Donald Trump threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico. But, why is AMLO’s administration so keen on keeping the Spanish apology as the most relevant diplomatic event? We believe currently there are other urgent affairs in Mexico’s international agenda, especially regarding our northern neighbor: the United States under President Trump. The Mexican government has said very little about President Trump’s constant insults and the possible actions regarding the border. So, why are the Mexican government and people attacking Spain while we are under constant rhetorical bombardment by President Trump and have not answered back? We contend that it has to do with internal political strategies, polarization, and the need to maintain impeccable relations with the U.S.