The Embrace of Acatempan

According to Mexican tradition, on February 10, 1821, at Acatempan, Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero ended their war against each other with an embrace. The abrazo de Acatempan stands for the alliance that led to independence.

The embrace may never have happened. In a letter to the viceroy dated February 18, 1821, Iturbide implies that the two had not yet met. In 2021, the newspaper Crónica ran the headline: “No existe registro documental sobre el abrazo de Acatempan” (There is no documentary record of the embrace of Acatempan).

Married Twice

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera divorced in 1939. In December 1940, Kahlo came to San Francisco, and on December 8 they married each other again.

The Museo Frida Kahlo describes the terms: “vuelven a casarse en 1940, bajo un acuerdo común: vidas sexuales autónomas” (they marry again in 1940, under a common agreement: autonomous sex lives).

The Vocabulary of Starting Over

Hacer las paces, “to make the peace,” to reconcile. Hacer borrón y cuenta nueva, “to erase and open a new account.” El Imparcial explains that it means “olvidar errores o deudas pasadas y comenzar de nuevo sin rencores” (to forget past mistakes or debts and start again without resentment). Lo pasado, pasado, “what is past is past.” It is also the title of a song by Juan Gabriel, recorded by José José in the late 1970s.

From Rival to Cabinet

On September 6, 2023, Morena announced that Claudia Sheinbaum had won its poll to become the coordinator of its movement. Marcelo Ebrard rejected the result. “Me queda claro que en Morena ya no tenemos espacio” (It is clear to me that there is no longer room for us in Morena), he said the next day. On September 11, Sheinbaum said: “aquí siguen abiertas las puertas para que él regrese” (here the doors are still open for him to return).

On June 20, 2024, as president-elect, Sheinbaum named Ebrard Secretary of Economy. “Estoy muy contenta que Marcelo nos acompañe” (I am very happy that Marcelo is joining us), she said.

Breakfast with the Rival

On election night, July 1, 2018, José Antonio Meade conceded: “Debo reconocer que fue Andrés Manuel López Obrador el favorecido” (I must recognize that Andrés Manuel López Obrador was the one favored). Ricardo Anaya told the winner: “Le expreso mi felicitación y le deseo el mayor de los éxitos por el bien de México” (I congratulate you and wish you the greatest success for the good of Mexico).

On August 3, López Obrador received Meade for breakfast. “Invité a José Antonio Meade a desayunar porque nobleza obliga” (I invited José Antonio Meade to breakfast because nobility obliges), he said.

A Full Stop

On November 20, 2018, President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador spoke about the corruption of earlier governments. He proposed a “punto final, que se acabe la historia trágica, horrenda, de corrupción, de impunidad” (full stop, so that the tragic, horrendous history of corruption and impunity ends). The newspaper Vanguardia ran the headline “Ofrece AMLO borrón y cuenta nueva contra la corrupción” (AMLO offers a clean slate on corruption).

In his inaugural speech on December 1, he said: “Esta nueva etapa la iniciaremos sin perseguir a nadie, porque no apostamos al circo y la simulación” (We will begin this new stage without persecuting anyone, because we are not betting on circus and pretense).

The King’s Gesture

In 2019, President López Obrador wrote to King Felipe VI of Spain to ask for an apology for the abuses of the Conquest. Spain refused. In 2024, the King was not invited to the inauguration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

On March 16, 2026, the King visited the exhibition “La mitad del mundo. La mujer en el México indígena” at the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid. Speaking of the Conquest, he said: “luego la realidad hace que no se cumpla como se pretende y hay mucho abuso” (then reality means that it is not carried out as intended, and there is much abuse).

Sheinbaum answered the next day: “Es un acercamiento del Rey que reconocemos” (It is an approach by the King that we recognize). On June 25, 2026, she received him at the National Palace.

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