On June 1st, Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego hosted Spanish Member of Parliament Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo at the University of Liberty in Mexico City, during a conference commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Grupo Salinas National Advisory Councils.
According to TV Azteca, the event brought together various academics, business leaders, and representatives from diverse sectors to create a space for dialogue and exchange ideas on the challenges facing Mexico and to highlight the role of the private sector in its development.
In her speech, Álvarez called for the defense of the Mexican people’s freedom, stating that the country faces three damaging internal phenomena that threaten democracy and national sovereignty: organized crime, authoritarian populism, and a dependency mentality.
“Mexicans are having their sovereignty stolen, not by a foreign power, but by the collusion of politicians with organized crime,” she declared during her speech, railing against the elimination and “subjugation” of independent institutions, autonomous bodies, and the judiciary.
“Sovereignty is not a flag, it is not an inflammatory speech against foreigners, it is not a historical reproach launched from a morning press conference,” she added. For Álvarez, the “broken sovereignty” in Mexico is the result of an absent state that eliminates the individual sovereignty of its people with social programs.
To illustrate her point, the journalist also recalled what happened at the so-called “Rancho of Horror” in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, as well as the presence of mass graves, the 130,000 disappeared persons, and the unidentified bodies, in addition to drawing attention to the situation faced by mothers searching for their missing loved ones in various states.
Who is Cayetana Álvarez?
According to the website of Spain’s People’s Party (PP), Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo y Peralta-Ramos, a PP member of parliament, holds a Bachelor’s and a Doctorate in History from Oxford University and is known for her liberal-conservative views.
Born in Madrid in 1974, Álvarez worked as a journalist for the newspaper El Mundo, a period that honed her skills in public debate. In the political arena, she rose to prominence as spokesperson for the People’s Parliamentary Group, where she distinguished herself through her opposition to nationalist movements.
In recent years, her ties to Mexico have strengthened under the patronage of businessman Carlos Salinas Pliego, and she has participated in various forums. According to Spanish newspapers, her ideology centers on combating populism and defending democratic institutions, themes that have become prominent in her speeches.
Her intervention at the event is reminiscent of the “failed visit” of the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, to Mexico, promoted by politicians from the National Action Party (PAN) and sectors of the Mexican opposition; a trip that had to be canceled due to an alleged “boycott.”
In her morning press conference, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo denied having promoted a boycott and criticized the tribute Ayuso paid to the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés during her visit. Meanwhile, the national leader of Morena, Ariadna Montiel, described her visit in a statement as a “provocation and interference.”
According to the Spanish newspaper El País, during a conference at the University of Liberty, Ayuso criticized the current political system, calling it “people’s democracy without law.” She also warned students and business leaders that the “chains of socialism” are damaging democracy.
Source: eluniversal
