Another unprecedented image of the presidential transition

The image was unprecedented: the future commander of the armed forces, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, climbed into the open-topped Humvee military vehicle and stood next to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, flanked by the two highest military commanders.

The car slowly made its way to the altar of the homeland, where they paid tribute to the heroes who defended the nation from foreign invaders.

In an unprecedented new scene – like many that have occurred in the new times of transition – the president-elect joined her soon-to-be predecessor to lead the ceremony for the 177th anniversary of the heroic deed of the Boy Heroes of Chapultepec.

This is the first time that the traditional and strict military protocol has been broken so that an imminent presidential successor – in this case a female successor – could accompany the outgoing president to this ceremony to honour the young people who, as history has told, defended Chapultepec Castle with their lives on 13 September 1847.

It was the second event this week that both of them led before elements of the armed forces. Last Tuesday they gave a message to the militia at the facilities of the Military College, where –in an image in front of thousands of troops– Sheinbaum stated: I will never issue an order that violates human rights.

Yesterday, at the opening of the ceremony, a voice at the microphone recalled that on that date “one of the most memorable pages in the history of our country was written with courage, self-denial and sacrifice, which took place during the events that occurred during the U.S. intervention led by General Winfield Scott, who attacked various points in Mexico City with the intention of advancing towards Chapultepec Castle, then the headquarters of the Military College and the nerve center for the defense of our nation.”

The President and the future leader laid a wreath and mounted an honour guard at the foot of the monument to the Niño Heroes.

The President and Claudia Sheinbaum laid a wreath and mounted an honor guard. Photo by José Antonio López

At his side were the Secretaries of National Defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, and of the Navy, José Rafael Ojeda, as well as the wife of the Chief Executive, Beatriz Gutiérrez; the head of the Interior, Luisa María Alcalde; and the head of government of Mexico City, Martí Batres.

Previously, with the honors required by military solemnity, the supreme commander of the armed forces carried out the roll call of the heroes of that historic episode:

For the Heroic Military College, Lieutenant Juan de la Barrera and the cadets Juan Escutia, Agustín Melgar, Vicente Suárez, Fernando Montes de Oca and Francisco Márquez; while for the Heroic Naval School, Lieutenant José Azueta and the cadet Virgilio Uribe.

After hearing each name, the hundreds of cadets who participated in the ceremony chanted in chorus the emblematic: He died for his country!.

López Obrador also gave swords to six cadets, which is a symbol of the commitment to receive with honor the task of defending the homelandIn modern times, three female and three male cadets received this element.

The only speaker at the event, third-year cadet Javier Enrique Valencia, stressed that in that bloody battle of 1847, those who defended the country They taught us that, no matter what challenges threaten the nation, none will be superior to the will and unity of Mexicans..

Heirs of those characters, he pointed out, We will defend the highest ideals of freedom and justice; as custodians of this legacy, in any circumstance that threatens our sovereignty, we will give everything for the honor of Mexico..

Following the notes of the war band, a company of cadets fired a rifle salute to honor the memory of the Boy Heroes.