The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, kicked off her ten-day institutional tour of Mexico this weekend with a visit to the Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe, where she participated in the Sunday mass presided over by the Primate Archbishop of Mexico. The Madrid leader, accompanied by the Spanish Consul in Mexico, Marcos Rodríguez, and her entourage, took the place of special guests in the venue, guarded by the canon and vicar general of the Archdiocese of Mexico, Msgr. Martín Muñoz.
The Primate Archbishop of Mexico welcomed the president and, in his homily, prayed for the “moms of Spain”, coinciding with Mother’s Day, and for relations between both countries. “She comes to commend herself to the Virgin of Guadalupe”, highlighted the prelate, underscoring the historical role of the Basilica as a meeting point for pilgrims from all over the world.
DÍAZ AYUSO: «The Primate Archbishop of Mexico prays from Guadalupe for all the mothers of Spain».
The tour agenda, which will extend until May 12, includes activities in Mexico City, Monterrey, Aguascalientes, and the Riviera Maya. Ayuso is scheduled to meet with Mexican and Spanish businessmen and investors, followed by an institutional lunch with the governors of Aguascalientes, Querétaro, Chihuahua, and Guanajuato. The entourage will also attend a mass in the Metropolitan Cathedral, participate in academic events at the University of Liberty and the Tecnológico de Monterrey, and hold meetings with companies such as CEMEX and Alsea. Among the most symbolic moments is a tribute to Hernán Cortés and the reception of the Freedom Medal from the Congress of Aguascalientes, where she will also be given the keys to the city in recognition of her defense of Hispanidad. The president will close her visit as guest of honor at the 198 National Fair of San Marcos, with the celebration of Madrid Day.
No meetings are scheduled with the federal government of Claudia Sheinbaum, with whom Ayuso has had public differences in recent months. The tour comes after the recent criticisms of the Madrid leader towards the country, which she has labeled a “narco-state” and stated that “the Mayans and the Aztecs” were the ones who perpetrated the abuses against the indigenous peoples. These statements have generated controversy in Mexico, where opposition sectors and analysts see the visit as a gesture of cultural provocation.
As a complement to her ideological line, Ayuso, representative of the right wing of the Popular Party and an ascending figure in Spanish conservatism, has recently lashed out against the progressive summit convened by President Pedro Sánchez in Barcelona, described by analysts as an “anti-Trump meeting”. The Madrid leader criticized the event, which brought together Latin American left-wing leaders to promote a diplomatic alliance in defense of democracy against the policies of the US president, accusing him of aligning Spain with authoritarian regimes and opposing it to her own agenda of freedom and defense of Hispanidad. While Sánchez was promoting that forum, Ayuso was receiving in Madrid the Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize winner, in a clear contrast of visions.
The institutional trip takes place in the framework of strengthening economic, cultural, and business ties. Ayuso, known for her defense of the free market, her rejection of socialism, and promotion of Hispanic identity, carries out these tours to project a liberal Spain proud of its common history with America. While paying tribute to the Virgin of Guadalupe and the figure of Hernán Cortés, the president projects her commitment to a narrative of Hispanic unity against what she considers ideological divisions driven from the left.