They praise the legacy of Margarita Maza, the first historical ambassador of Mexico

The “everyday resistance” of Margarita Maza (1826-1871) “allowed the republican project to have emotional and moral continuity,” said President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo at the ceremony that yesterday commemorated the heroine who was “the voice of a wounded country that refused to surrender” in dark times.

In the Pantheon of San Fernando, on the exact day that marked the 200th anniversary of her birth, a guard was held in honor of Margarita Eustaquia Maza Parada. A plaque was also unveiled that recognizes her as the first historical ambassador of the Mexican Republic for her services rendered in 1866, in accordance with the decree signed on March 21 by Sheinbaum.

The president mentioned that in the “hardest years of Benito Juárez’s exile, the Reform and foreign intervention, Margarita not only supported her family in adverse conditions, but also faced distance, uncertainty and the loss of some of her children with exceptional fortitude.”

The tribute was attended by Sofía Gamio Sánchez Juárez, sixth generation descendant of the Juárez Maza family, and Clara Brugada, head of Government of Mexico City, as well as heads of the federal secretariats Rosa Icela Rodríguez (Government), Citlalli Hernández (Women), Claudia Curiel (Culture) and Juan Ramón de la Fuente (Foreign Relations), among other officials.

The President commented that the historical participation of women like her has been reduced to a subordinate mention to male protagonism, “not only unfair, but also impoverishes our understanding of the past by ignoring the complexity and collective dimension of historical processes. Cases such as that of Josefa Ortiz, Leona Vicario and Margarita Maza demonstrate this debt. They all embody strength, loyalty and commitment in adverse circumstances.”

He added that Margarita Maza “between 1864 and 1867 from New York not only defended the republican cause; she embodied it with a conviction that transcended borders. Without an official title, but with unquestionable moral authority (…) she managed to ensure that in foreign lands it was understood that Mexico was not waging a simple internal dispute, but rather a dignified and legitimate fight for its freedom from European power.”

He asserted that while the homeland seemed to be crumbling due to foreign intervention, Maza, “with an indomitable will, wove a support network that mobilized consciences and resources. Bazaars, cultural meetings and public events were transformed into trenches of resistance, where each gesture of solidarity became hope for those fighting on Mexican soil.”

Even with the loss of two of his young children, due to illness in adverse conditions, and that immeasurable pain, Maza “rejected all help intended for his own well-being, maintaining with unwavering dignity that each resource should serve only the Republic. In that deeply human and, at the same time, heroic gesture, the greatness of his character and the absolute love he felt for his country were revealed.”

Guardian of national hope

When Margarita Maza returned to Mexico in 1867, she continued to be the head of the Executive, she became a symbol and was received as such by the people in Veracruz and Mexico City. She was recognized not only as the wife of President Juárez, but as “the guardian of national hope in the darkest moments.”

The President extolled that reviewing history with a fairer perspective requires rescuing careers like Maza’s and “naming them with the same dignity and depth as their male counterparts.”

The above, the president added, does not mean displacing “some to replace others, but understanding that the great moments in history are rarely the work of a single figure: they are the result of support networks, shared resistance and sacrifices that, not always visible, were indispensable and also heroic.

“Recognizing these women is an act of justice in the present. It is admitting that freedom, courage and intelligence have no gender and that many of the victories that are celebrated today would not have been possible without those who, possibly since then called the shadow, sustained the weight of history without bowing.”

Sheinbaum Pardo concluded: “Margarita, first historical ambassador of Mexico, as the first woman president, I name you and, with this, we exalt your legacy that resonates more strongly than ever. With infinite admiration we pay tribute to you and offer a recognition that does not know the passage of time.”

He extended the recognition to the present, for the women “who have shaped our country with their hands, their intelligence and their love. From homes to classrooms, from fields to cities, and even beyond our borders, women have sustained and transformed this country that we love so much.”

In her speech, Clara Brugada highlighted that tribute is given to Margarita Eustaquia Maza Parada for her fundamental role in the formation of the Mexican State, who more than an accompanying figure of President Benito Juárez was a diplomat and patriot, who organized support networks and was alongside a generation that defended ideals that are current.