By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
MEXICO CITY, Mexico | One of those uniquely-Mexican despapayes, all bark and no bite, is still brewing days after Mexico hosted a few Russian soldiers at its annual Independence Day celebration.
Russians marching in the hallowed parade?
Well, yes.
But it did draw some protests and more than a few thousand raised eyebrows.
This from mexiconewsdaily.com: [ President Andres Manuel López Obrador on Monday defended the participation of Russian soldiers in Saturday’s Independence Day military parade after Ukraine’s ambassador to Mexico and others criticized their involvement in the annual event.
"We have relations with all the countries of the world, and everyone is invited," he told reporters at his regular news conference. The president said Russia was welcome to take part in the parade.
The practice of inviting all the world’s nations to participate in the Independence Day parade "has always been done," López Obrador added. A small contingent of Russian soldiers marched through the streets of the capital as their colleagues continued to wage war against Ukraine. Military units from a number of other countries, including China, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Sri Lanka also participated in the parade.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Dramaretska said on the X social media site that the parade was "sullied by the participation of a Russian regiment."
The boots and hands of Russian soldiers are "stained with blood," she said.
Dramaretska questioned López Obrador over how the Russian army’s participation in the parade was "coherent" with his "policy of neutrality" and "condemnation of Russian aggression against my country."
For its part, the Russian Embassy in Mexico said on X that soldiers from the Russian army’s 154th Preobrazhensky regiment took part and that it was an "honor to participate in such an important event for the Mexican people."
"Long live the friendship between Mexico and Russia," the embassy added.
López Obrador, whose government chose not to place sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, said Monday that an unwarranted, media-driven "scandal" had been made out of Russia’s participation in the parade, which he and other officials attended. ]
A political prankster known to say stupidities and couch Mexico's news events in his self-serving terms, Lopez Obrador may see it that way, but few others do.
Russian soldiers had no business in that parade, not as they continue to kill and bomb innocent civilians in Ukraine.
AMLO, as Lopez Obrador is best known in Aztec Nation, gets our "Que Diablos?" award...
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There was a time when Mexico deferred to the U.S. and had no relations/business with both China and Russia. Fact.
ReplyDeleteMy poor Mexico. This is not good. Bad, bad optic. jmho
ReplyDeleteNo problem with it here. mexico is mexico and it will do what it wants and has to do. Fact, too.
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