“What’s the point of apologizing?”: Mayan youth protest AMLO’s visit to Quintana Roo

During the visit of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to offer forgiveness to the Mayan people for the injustices of the past, as it was the caste war, several young Mayans gathered before the event to demand improvements in education and infrastructure of the University of Tihosuco, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, in the state of Quintana roo.

Before the arrival of the president, the municipality woke up full of fences that prevented Mayan settlers from approaching the president; before the event, several young people arrived with posters demand a larger budget from the authorities for education and culture in the community, in addition to the preservation of the environment.

One of the young people said that the university of the municipality has been abandoned by the state authoritiesHowever, he said that despite the small budget, the student community has managed to represent the state in national competitions.

“We represented Quintana Roo, we went to national competitions and the Tecnológico de Tihosuco left the name of Quintana Roo and the Mayan region high. (…) Seven years without school and without infrastructure, three generations, and despite all the difficulties, we represented Quintana Roo and the Mayan culture“Did he declare.

Regarding the purpose of the president’s visit, the young man said that It is not used to apologize to the Mayan people, if it is done behind closed doors and in front of “caciques”.

“We are Mayans and we understand the value of our culture (…) We are more young people aware than It is useless for them to come and ask forgiveness, because they do not ask forgiveness from the Mayas, they ask forgiveness from certain caciques. Young people must be heard, The Mayans are here, we haven’t left“, He stated.

I declare that the Mayans will never end their war because they are not asked for forgiveness, and noted that the authorities will only take pictures “To enjoy the Mayan people,” customs and traditions, in addition to “our typical costumes and clothes, he only uses us for that,” he said.

“It’s supposed to be an excuse to the Mayan people, we are unhappy that the president organized his event inside the museum, he could have held it here, in the public park (…) What good is it for us that they come to apologize to the Mayan culture if they want to shut themselves up with the governor, so who do they ask forgiveness, the Mayans or the governors? “, exposed to the applause and cries of the community.

Since the arrival of the president, various demonstrations have been generated by citizens victims of dispossession, members of the medical sector, among others; women of the collective Quintana Roo green tide They demonstrated in front of the hotel where the president stayed to demand an end to the violence and femicides.

Through their networks, andThe collective indicated that the president “fled, he did not confront the citizens who had met us from 4 am in front of the hotel. in the city of Chetumal, capital of Quintana Roo ”.

In addition, The group denounced that in the program of the forum “End of the caste war: call for forgiveness of grievances against the Mayan peoples”, women are excluded from participation. in the presentation “The Mayan Woman in the Social Movement”, given by two male speakers.

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