What began as an act of territorial justice in San Salvador Atenco, State of Mexico, concluded with one of the most forceful statements President Claudia Sheinbaum has made regarding pressure from the United States—without mentioning the Rocha Moya case even once.
During the second phase of the Plan for Justice for Atenco and the Montaña—in which the federal government returned 54.5 hectares to the community’s *ejido* (communal land)—Sheinbaum seized upon the historical context of the event to issue a warning that can hardly be interpreted without reflecting on the current political climate between Mexico and Washington.
In her speech, the President reviewed Mexico’s four historical transformations, eventually reaching a point that drew applause from the audience:
“There are some who say: ‘No, let the United States come and help with security.’ The last time they were here, they took 55% of our territory. That is—just so we may reflect on what that truly means.”
The historical reference points to the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848, which culminated in the loss of the territories that today comprise California, Texas, New Mexico, and other states in the southern United States. Yet the message—delivered within the current context of the scandal surrounding the indictment of Rubén Rocha Moya and the ongoing debates regarding national sovereignty—resonated as something far more significant than a mere history lesson.
