Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and former PRD leader Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano had political differences but not a personal enmity, following the death of Cárdenas on 28 October 2026 at the age of 92. During a morning briefing on 30 October, Sheinbaum recalled the relationship that had developed between the two left‑wing figures over several decades. She noted that after López Obrador won the 2018 presidential election, he visited Cárdenas the day after the vote to invite him to join his administration. “They had their differences, yes,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the disagreements did not erase the respect López Obrador had for Cárdenas. She cited a remark by López Obrador that emphasized the importance of recognizing those who helped build the transformation movement, even when political views diverged. Sheinbaum also referred to a public incident in January 2023, when López Obrador was questioned about Cárdenas’s participation in the “Colectivo por México” initiative. López Obrador described Cárdenas as a “political adversary” if he opposed the president’s transformation project, but he also said, “I respect him, I consider him a precursor of this movement.” Sheinbaum stressed that the 2023 statement reflected a political difference rather than a personal rupture. The two leaders had divergent views on Mexico’s economic and energy policy. Cárdenas, in his 2021 book Por una democracia progresista, advocated for a review of the petroleum policy, strengthening PEMEX, expanding hydrocarbon exploration, and increasing the importance of petrochemicals, while also supporting clean energy development. These positions contrasted with López Obrador’s approach to the country’s energy strategy. Following Cárdenas’s death, Sheinbaum attended a tribute ceremony held at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City on 30 October. The event, organized by the capital’s government, brought together family members, political representatives, and supporters to honor the founder of the Party of the Democratic Revolution. Sheinbaum participated in the ceremony, standing with a guard of honor alongside Cárdenas’s relatives.
Article source: El Imparcial | Image credit: El Imparcial