Mexico, Competence, Loyalty - understand-culture

Putting On the Shirt

Ponerse la camiseta, “to put on the shirt,” means to commit to a team. The sports newspaper Récord explains that “ponerse la camiseta implica ser parte de” a team, and that a player merges with the goals of the team. The phrase is also used at work.

In August 2025, Publimetro quoted a training specialist at the human resources firm Hooman, who said that “70% de los empleados del país ya no se ponen la camiseta de la empresa” (70 percent of the country’s employees no longer put on the company’s shirt).

Grasshopper Politicians

In Mexican politics, a chapulín, a grasshopper, is a politician who jumps from one post or party to another. Uno TV cites the historical dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy for the verb chapulinear: “abandonar un puesto por otro” (to leave one post for another). It describes chapulines as politicians who “cambian su militancia de un partido a otro” (change their membership from one party to another).

The Usurper

Victoriano Huerta was a general of the federal army. He formed the federal División del Norte in Torreón and defeated the rebels of Pascual Orozco at Conejos, Rellano, La Cruz and Bachimba. In February 1913, during the Decena Trágica, he betrayed President Francisco I. Madero and removed him. On February 19, Huerta was installed as president. Madero and Vice President José María Pino Suárez were killed on February 22.

Huerta became known as el usurpador, the usurper. The encyclopedia Biografías y Vidas writes that he prepared “la traición que le ha hecho pasar a la historia” (the betrayal for which he has gone down in history).

The Child Heroes

On September 13, 1847, during the war with the United States, the Castle of Chapultepec fell. Mexico honors six young defenders as the Niños Héroes, the Child Heroes: Juan de la Barrera, Juan Escutia, Agustín Melgar, Fernando Montes de Oca, Vicente Suárez and Francisco Márquez. In the best-known story, Escutia wrapped himself in the flag and jumped from the castle.

The historian Alejandro Rosas disputes this story. He told Chilango: “Escutia no murió por un salto ni envuelto en una bandera” (Escutia did not die from a jump or wrapped in a flag).

From Chivas to América

In January 2024, “Chicote” Calderón moved from Chivas, the club of Guadalajara, to its great rival, América. On March 16, 2024, he returned to the Estadio Akron for the Clásico Nacional. ESPN noted that “hace solo tres meses defendía los colores del Rebaño Sagrado” (only three months ago he defended the colors of the Sacred Flock), as Chivas is known.

The fans “abuchearon al jugador en cada balón que tocó” (booed the player every time he touched the ball). When he was substituted, they threw cups and other objects at him. The match ended 0-0.

Blind Loyalty

On September 24, 2020, after Jaime Cárdenas resigned as head of the Indep, the institute that sells seized assets, President López Obrador said: “Pedimos lealtad a ciegas al proyecto de transformación, porque el pueblo nos eligió para eso.” “We ask for blind loyalty to the project of transformation, because the people elected us for that.” He said that the loyalty was owed to the project, not to him. Cárdenas had said that his loyalty was reflective, not blind.

In February 2026, Expansión reported that Julio Scherer, in his book Ni venganza ni perdón, describes López Obrador’s formula for appointments: “colaboradores con 90% de lealtad y 10% de capacidad,” collaborators with 90 percent loyalty and 10 percent ability.