Díaz-Canel Praises López Obrador: "His Term Has Been One of Justice"

Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed his admiration for Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), who celebrated another anniversary of Mexico's independence with the final "grito" of his term ending on October 1. "#VivaMéxico a thousand times, dear brother López Obrador. His term has been one of justice, support, and solidarity with the underprivileged and the brothers of Our America," wrote the Cuban president on X, also sharing his "deep emotion for his last #GritoDeIndependencia."

Díaz-Canel accompanied his post with a video of AMLO on the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City's Zócalo, cheering for the heroes of the Aztec nation. After completing the traditional celebrations—ringing a bell, waving the flag, and singing the national anthem—the event transitioned to a show of fireworks and drones, marking AMLO's last such celebration as president. On October 1, he will pass the presidential sash to his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, from the ruling MORENA party.

AMLO's Final Independence Celebration

Earlier, Díaz-Canel also congratulated the president and the president-elect, wishing them success in celebrating this anniversary of Mexican independence, and referred to the recent approval of a controversial judicial reform. "By celebrating the #GritoDeDolores with the triumph of the #ReformaAlPoderJudicial, they reaffirm the historical significance of this date," he said in his message.

During AMLO's term, which began in December 2018, the Cuban leader visited Mexico at least five times officially, while AMLO only visited Cuba once as President of the United Mexican States. Díaz-Canel's most recent visit to Mexico was to attend a migration summit titled "Meeting for a Fraternal Neighborhood and in Search of Well-being," held on Sunday, October 22, 2023, in Palenque, Chiapas, in southern Mexico.

The summit took place amid a severe migration crisis in Central America, with an increase in the illegal flow of people through the region aiming to reach the Mexico-United States border, an issue that remains unresolved. In May of this year, the Cuban leader finalized an agreement with the Mexican government to send 1,200 doctors to Mexico.

This agreement has faced criticism from both AMLO's opposition and from Cubans, who are grappling with a deep crisis in their healthcare system, marked by chronic shortages of medications, supplies, and hospital staff.