Mexican President Sheinbaum apologizes for the 1968 student murders

In a historic gesture, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday issued an official apology for the military’s 1968 massacre of student demonstrators, one of her first major acts since taking office.

“We will not forget October 2!” Sheinbaum, who has described herself as the “daughter of ’68” and a former student activist, stated on the anniversary of the Tlatelolco massacre.

Thirty people were killed when security forces opened fire on students peacefully gathering in Mexico City’s Tlatelolco neighborhood, just days before the country hosted the Olympic Games, according to official data. However, relatives and activists believe the actual death toll is closer to 400.

At her first press conference after being sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Tuesday, Sheinbaum announced plans to issue a decree officially classifying the massacre as a crime against humanity. She also pledged that the country’s security forces would never again be used to “attack or oppress the people of Mexico.”

Her comments came hours before a planned protest in Mexico City, where demonstrators called for justice for the victims of the massacre, an event that has remained a deep scar in Mexico’s history.

Born in the 1960s to Bulgarian and Lithuanian Jewish migrants in Mexico City, Sheinbaum grew up amid social unrest as students and activists challenged the Institutional Revolutionary Party’s long-standing grip on power. Her mother, a college professor, lost her job after denouncing the massacre.

Later that day, thousands gathered for the annual demonstration to commemorate the murdered students. Among them were groups of protesters known as the “black bloc,” who threw rocks and fireworks at police officers guarding the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square and home to the presidential palace.

For some of those who experienced the tragedy, Sheinbaum’s apology, while meaningful, was not enough.

“It’s not enough to apologize. We want justice… You can apologize to your friends, but not to us who gave our lives to change this country,” said 90-year-old Oscar Menendez, a survivor of the 1968 events.

Angel Rodriguez, 76, another participant in the student movement, acknowledged the importance of Sheinbaum’s gesture, saying, “She had no obligation to make that apology.” It should have been previous presidents immediately after the massacre.”

Sheinbaum, a scientist by profession, won a landslide victory in June elections with a promise to continue the left-wing reforms of her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Lopez Obrador, who resigned this week after six years in office due to Mexico’s one-term limit, left with an approval rating of around 70 percent, largely due to his policies favoring poorer Mexicans.

Sheinbaum faces the pressing issue of rampant criminal violence linked to drug trafficking and gangs, which has claimed more than 450,000 lives since 2006. She is expected to unveil her security plan next week to address these ongoing challenges.