Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered an official apology on Wednesday for the 1968 massacre of students by the army, marking one of her first actions since taking office. The massacre, which occurred in Mexico City’s Tlatelolco district, claimed the lives of at least 30 students just days before the country hosted the Olympic Games.
“October 2nd will not be forgotten!” declared Sheinbaum, a former student activist, on the anniversary of the tragedy. Sheinbaum, who has described herself as the “daughter of ’68,” vowed that the killings would be officially recognized as a crime against humanity.
Speaking at her first press conference since being sworn in as Mexico’s first woman president on Tuesday, Sheinbaum said a decree would be issued to formally acknowledge the massacre and to ensure that security forces would never again be used to repress the Mexican people.
Her remarks came just hours ahead of an annual protest in Mexico City, where demonstrators gathered to demand justice for the victims of the 1968 massacre. Thousands marched through the streets, with some protesters, known as the “black bloc,” clashing with police in the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square.
“It is not enough to apologize. We want justice,” said Oscar Menendez, 90, a survivor of the 1968 tragedy. “You can give apologies to your friends, but not to us who gave our lives to change this country.”
Angel Rodriguez, 76, another participant in the student movement, welcomed the apology but noted that it should have come sooner. “She was not obliged to offer that apology. It should have been previous presidents, immediately after the massacre,” he said.
Sheinbaum’s apology highlights her commitment to social justice, a key element of the left-wing reform agenda she promised to continue after her landslide victory in June. A close ally of her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Sheinbaum aims to build on his policies, particularly those focused on supporting Mexico’s poorer population.
Sheinbaum’s presidency comes at a time when the country continues to grapple with rampant criminal violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and organized crime. More than 450,000 people have lost their lives since 2006 due to gang violence, a challenge Sheinbaum is expected to address when she unveils her security plan next week.
Lopez Obrador, who left office this week due to Mexico’s single-term limit, enjoyed widespread popularity, exiting with an approval rating of around 70% thanks to his social and economic policies aimed at reducing inequality.
