Mrs. Sheinbaum's happy country

Guadalajara (Mexico)Why on earth is there such optimism in Guadalajara and Mexico? Without a subway and with very little public transportation, Guadalajara has chaotic traffic. I ask one from Guadalajara either Tapatío because of its dilapidated urban planning, and he replies ironically, "Urban planning? What exactly do you mean?" The standard of living is low. Social problems are obvious. And yet... There's a palpable sense of hopeful optimism. What's going on? It can't be solely due to the International Book Fair (FIL), right?

Consuelo, who cleans rooms, didn't vote for Claudia Sheinbaum, but she's happy that a woman is president of Mexico for the first time. She has a daughter who studied and works in a bank and a 14-year-old grandson. She guesses my age with just a glance and wishes me that I'll soon have grandchildren too, "God will say."She says. I don't know if my children are here because of work... She is indeed a hard-working, restless woman: "Are you from Barcelona, ​​you say? This is really far away! Is Barcelona even in Spain?"He asks without any ulterior motives. "More or less," I reply. But I inform him that we speak another language, "like youBut she doesn't speak Nahuatl (there are five million Mexicans who are bilingual in Nahuatl and Spanish). She's from the southern state of Guerrero, one of the 32 states that make up the country. Sheinbaum, with the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), won in almost all of them.

In a world veering toward the far right, Mexico is an oasis. Like Mamdani in New York. Sheinbaum is also a social democrat: she talks about public education, a pension for women over 60 (Consuelo doesn't know it, but she'll be eligible; perhaps then she'll vote for her), strengthening public transportation, fighting for the environment, helping small local producers, but also combating crime and violence. The cartels never rest, neither the Sinaloa nor the Jalisco New Generation, nor the Guadalajara cartel. Just four days ago, mentioning social democracy was something... boomers Nostalgic: it used to elicit scornful laughter from both the right and the left. Now, suddenly, it's back on the agenda. Best not to get too carried away. Everything is fleeting. But there is optimism in Guadalajara.

Urbanistically speaking, the city is a bit West Lighthouse They recommend not walking alone in the street. Naturally, that's the first thing I did. During the day, no problem. At night, it depends on the shots of tequila or margaritas you've had. I've consumed in a social-democratic way, that is, moderately and socially. Good. Following the advice of a "Catalan sage"Like the one from García Márquez's Macondo, but this Mexican one, José María Murià, I've had '100% blue agave tequila weber.' It goes down very well, no hangover. In fact, they say, they say, they say it has curative and preventative properties, especially against the flu (maybe even against early-onset flu) from Mexican tequila (which has a lot of vitamin C) with salt. Done! Sheinbaum has the good thing of being American and strong, and from a family of Jewish origin, and the bad thing is that she's a scientist and academic, a daughter of the May '68 generation: her parents were active in all the progressive movements." woke, What would the MAGA say? She wants to make Mexico strong again. And strong, in her case, means a country for everyone. For now, the newspapers explain that in the last seven years, 19 million Mexicans have been lifted out of poverty and illiteracy has been eradicated. The books from the Guadalajara International Book Fair must have helped. We wealthy Europeans are discouraged and disoriented; Mexicans, both poor and rich, are full of hope.Life is good in Guadalajara."Consuelo assures me.

In Guadalajara, a woman, Verónica Delgadillo García, from the Citizens' Movement, is also in charge. At the state level, she's in the opposition, and they're being sold siren songs by the right. A few years ago, the Movement had a name that sounds familiar in Catalonia: Convergence... Anyway. On paper, they declare themselves social democratic: supporters of administrative decentralization (more autonomy for states and municipalities), progressive taxation, a guaranteed minimum income, strengthening judicial independence, respect for indigenous minorities, and policies in favor of women and the environment. If Claudia Sheinbaum is a business leader... Is this a battle between left-wing and not-so-left-wing social democrats?" Beautiful MexicoNor that Guadalajara of books.