Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

• 🕊️ Sheinbaum marks 58th anniversary of Tlatelolco massacre: Opening the mañanera on Oct. 2, the president said “October 2 is not forgotten,” the rallying cry of annual commemorations of the 1968 massacre of student protesters.
• 🏫 Sheinbaum condemns ‘very terrible episode’ at Torreón school: Sheinbaum addressed Thursday’s attack at the Number 13 Secondary School in Torreón, Coahuila, in which a vice principal was killed. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said four people were injured, including two teachers, a student and another bystander, with one teacher in serious condition. The attack was carried out with machetes and rudimentary explosives, allegedly by 18-year-old twin brothers who were former students at the school.
• 📵 Government to demand social media sites remove content inciting violence: Sheinbaum announced a working group whose first priority will be to “demand” that platforms take down content promoting “violence, abuse or harassment.” García Harfuch said a decree setting obligations for platforms on detecting, reporting and removing such content is expected to be worked on next week.
• 🎭 Culture minister reports 520,000 cultural activities in first 2 years of Sheinbaum administration: Claudia Curiel said the events were held across all 32 states between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2026. The “cultural offering” rose 32%, while attendance increased 13% to 50 million people. The conference closed with a performance by musicians from the Carlos Chávez School Orchestra.

Why today’s mañanera matters

President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Friday morning press conference on the 58th anniversary of the Tlatelolco Massacre, in which hundreds of protesting students were killed by the military in Mexico City.

Sheinbaum acknowledged the anniversary of one of the darkest days in modern Mexican history before noting that a “very terrible episode” occurred on Thursday at a secondary school in Torreón, Coahuila — an attack in which a vice principal was killed.

The attack was allegedly perpetrated by 18-year-old twin brothers who formerly studied at the Number 13 Secondary School in the Ejido La Unión area of Torreón.

Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported that four people — two teachers, a student and one other woman — were injured in the attack, which was perpetrated with machetes and rudimentary explosives. He said that one of the injured teachers was in serious condition.

Sheinbaum announced that her government would seek to decrease the probability of similar attacks occurring in the future by demanding that social media sites remove content that incites violence. That announcement was the most significant development at today’s mañanera, held 58 years after an immense national tragedy and one day after a distressing and terrifying episode in Torreón.

‘October 2 is not forgotten’

At the start of the press conference, Sheinbaum noted that today is Oct. 2.

“October 2 is not forgotten,” she said, using a phrase — 2 de octubre no se olvida — that is the enduring slogan and rallying cry of annual commemorations of the Tlatelolco massacre.

“We remember one of the most painful episodes of Mexico’s history — the repression of a student movement in the Plaza de Tlatelolco,” Sheinbaum said.

“We remind you that two years ago, when we took office, we read a statement that was subsequently published in the Official Gazette of the Federation in which it is recognized that the person primarily responsible [for the massacre] was the commander of the armed forces, the then-President of the republic Gustavo Díaz Ordaz. He recognized [his responsibility] himself at various times of his life after having been president,” she said.

“So our solidarity always with those who lived through this time, their families, and never again — never again a repression by the state of a social movement,” Sheinbaum said.

In light of Torreón attack, government to demand that social media sites remove content that incites violence   

Immediately after acknowledging the anniversary of the Tlatelolco massacre, Sheinbaum turned her attention to the attack at the Number 13 Secondary School in Torreón.

“Yesterday a very terrible episode occurred … at a school in Coahuila. Some young people went into the school and attacked a teacher,” she said.

Vice principal killed, 3 injured in attack by former students at Torreón school

“There are some similar episodes that have occurred in the country in recent years, three or four,” Sheinbaum said.

The president subsequently announced that she was putting together a working group whose first priority will be to “demand” that social media sites remove content that promotes “violence, abuse or harassment.”

“In other words, prohibit that there are these kinds of posts on digital platforms,” Sheinbaum said.

Security Minister García Harfuch said that the working group will include officials from a range of government departments, including the ministry he leads, the Ministry of Public Education and the Digital Transformation Agency, as well as representatives from academic institutions. He said it will be led by Luisa María Alcalde, Sheinbaum’s top legal adviser.

“Next week we expect to work on a decree that establishes obligations for digital platforms regarding the detection, reporting and timely removal of content and comments that directly incite violence,” García Harfuch said.

520,000 cultural activities held in Mexico in first 2 years of Sheinbaum administration

Culture Minister Claudia Curiel reported that 520,000 cultural activities were held across all 32 states of Mexico during the first two years of the Sheinbaum administration — i.e. Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2026.

She said that the “cultural offering” increased 32%, presumably in comparison with the previous two years.

Curiel said that attendance at the cultural events increased 13% to 50 million people.

She said that the government’s cultural policy is to establish culture as a “right, a tool of transformation” and a generator of “well-being.”

After Curiel’s presentation, a group of musicians from the Orquesta Escuela Carlos Chávez (Carlos Chávez School Orchestra) performed two pieces, providing an example of Mexico’s immense wealth of cultural talent across numerous disciplines, including music, visual arts, literature, film and dance.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)