Photographic exhibition evokes the Spanish exile in Mexico

You are not alone, the government of Spain and many Spaniards continue to think about doing justiceThe ambassador of that nation in Mexico, Juan Duarte Cuadrado, stressed yesterday to the Republican exiles who arrived in our country at the end of the 1930s as a consequence of the civil war and the Franco dictatorship, as well as to their descendants.

By participating in the inauguration of the photographic exhibition 85 years of the Spanish Republican Exile in Mexico, mounted in the open-air Gallery of the Rejas de Chapultepec, the diplomatic representative mentioned what was done in this regard by the former Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and the current president of that country, Pedro Sánchez, both for the Spaniards who had to leave their homeland like those who stayed.

Specifically, he referred to Law 20/2022 of October 19, known as the Democratic Memory Law, which, he said, is a bit of a continuation or complement of the Historical Memory Law of 2007, by paying tribute to those who had to leaving Spain for political, ideological or belief reasons as a result of the civil war (1936-1939).

He highlighted that, in addition to establishing May 8 as the Day of Tribute to the victims of the exile caused by the coup d’état of July 18, 1936 and the coup victory in the civil war of 1939, in its third article It specifies who the victims of that black historical episode were, among whom are the people who died or disappeared as a result of the war and the dictatorship, as well as those who went into exile for the same reason.

As has become common in the commemorations related to this historical episode, the name of General Lázaro Cárdenas came to light in the speeches of all the participants in the event.

Ambassador Duarte Cuadrado considered a moral obligation express his personal gratitude and that of his country for the generosity and solidarity that the Mexican politician showed when receiving Republican exiles when he was President of the Republic.

To close her intervention, in what she defined as a nod to the women of Republican exile, she announced that the Spanish embassy is working with the National Autonomous University of Mexico in the creation of the María Zambrano Chair.

Consisting of around 150 large-format photographic reproductions, both historical and contemporary, in addition to various historical documents, the exhibition 85 years of the Spanish Republican Exile in Mexico It commemorates the arrival at the port of Veracruz, on June 13, 1939, of the first massive contingent of Spanish republicans who left their homeland due to the establishment of the Franco regime.

According to the presentation document of the exhibition, it recovers the contributions of the Second Republic that were implemented in Spain and the transmission of its democratic principles, but also how difficult and painful a war and an exodus can be.

Spanish exile is a living phenomenon in Mexican societyhighlighted Juan Luis Bonilla Rius, president of the Ateneo Español de México, the organizing body of the exhibition in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Mexico City.

For us, it is a duty of memory and a source of pride to remember the origin that had as a consequence, among many others, the unparalleled reception of Spanish refugees, as well as their integration into Mexican society, allowing, among many other enriching effects, preserve the values ​​of freedom, equality, tolerance and dignity, which are linked to the ideals of the Second Republic

The editor and bookseller considered it essential to repeat our invariable and constant gratitude to General Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, who was the main protagonist of this entire history of solidarity and humanity, as well as to the people of Mexico as a whole, who during these last 85 years received and accepted this Spanish river of red blood, of generous overflowing blood, as Pedro Garfias said.

The head of the capital government, Martí Batres, participated in that event; the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, María Teresa Mercado, and the director of Large Community Festivals of the local Ministry of Culture, Argel Gómez.

The latter highlighted that memory is a right that is exercised daily and considered fundamental for current life. remember both the coup d’état and the Spanish civil war as well as the exile and the great wealth that it left for the people of Mexico.

He clarified that, regarding the republican exile, two essential ideas always stand out: the kind gesture of Lázaro Cárdenas to open the doors of our territory and the welcome of the Mexican people to these exiles, as well as the contributions that they brought to the scientific fields, cultural, academic and industrial of our nation, but is overlooked identify that Spain, under Franco’s dictatorship, was left speechlessby expelling or murdering all his poets.