The weekly newsletter of the Mexico Solidarity Project

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September 24, 2025

What Propels Us into the Streets for Gaza?

Meizhu Lui, for the editorial team

I go to the fridge and survey the array of food choices. A photo of a Palestinian boy with jutting ribs dying from hunger flashes to my mind. I take a shower. My thoughts jump to the Gazan woman who doesn’t even have water. I fall and my knee bleeds, and I apply antibiotic cream. It’s incomprehensible that Gazans with severed limbs have no medicine and no anesthesia — if they’re lucky enough to still know a doctor. I see a kitty dead on the road, and it breaks my heart. But then I think, in Gaza, it could be my little granddaughter.

We take so much for granted, but horrified by the cruelty of Israel’s assault on the people of Palestine, daily conveniences seem like enormous luxuries. What do we do with the feelings we have, of gratitude — and guilt? Simply being grateful for what we have can make us complacent; guilt over our own plenitude can immobilize us.

But these conflicting emotions together propel many of us into the streets, where we howl with grief and rage. In our interactions with others who remain impassive, we infect them with our fury and frustration. Through massive outcry, ordinary people have turned the world — other than the US! — against Israel’s genocide.

A leader in this movement, José Luis Hernandez Ayala, as a union activist, never shies from defending those who are wronged. He has jumped into action against the atrocities perpetrated on the Palestinian people. As he says, we cannot remain indifferent; how can anyone with an ounce of humanity be indifferent? The condemnation of Israel grows. That’s a victory.

But still, the suffering and killing continues.

Mexico and Palestine: Sovereign States

Mexicans began organizing support for Palestine long before Israel's genocide in Gaza. How did that come about?

In the 1968 student movement against the PRI government, hundreds of peaceful student protesters were massacred in Tlatelolco Square. A wave of radicalization among youth followed in the 70s, and out of that, a significant movement of solidarity with the Palestinian cause emerged. Many of those activists now hold positions in the Mexican government.

The university rector, Javier Barrios Sierra, center, university officials and students marching to protest police actions. Photo:Associated Press

In addition, young anti-Zionist Jews who emigrated to Mexico helped us understand the colonialist, racist and imperialist nature of the Israeli state. Yes, Zionist Jews do live in Mexico, but they are mostly businesspeople who are not involved in politics.

Mexican foreign policy has been governed by the Estrada Doctrine. What is that?

The Estrada Doctrine is a principle of Mexican foreign policy, enacted in 1930. It’s based on the principles of non-intervention and self-determination of peoples and remains a fundamental pillar of Mexican diplomacy.

Estrada is enshrined in the Constitution, which requires the head of the Executive Branch to “observe the following normative principles: the self-determination of peoples; non-intervention; the peaceful settlement of disputes; the prohibition of the threat or use of force in international relations; the legal equality of States; international cooperation for development; respect, protection and promotion of human rights; and the struggle for international peace and security.”

This Doctrine should be understood in context — in 1930, Mexico had already been invaded by France, Spain, England and the US. Neutrality was a way to defend Mexico, avoiding alliances that could lead to its being caught up in wider conflicts.

How has the Estrada Doctrine been applied?

However, in its international practices, Mexico hasn’t always been neutral — not when neutrality amounts to ignoring oppression. In international conflicts, Mexico has often played a significant role in supporting victims of dictatorial regimes or countries suffering imperialist invasions.

This was the case of the support — including military support — for the Republican fighters in the Spanish Civil War and later for recognizing Nicaragua’s Sandinistas as a legitimate revolutionary force. Mexico also severed diplomatic relations with the authoritarian regimes of Franco, Hitler, Mussolini, Pinochet and Somoza. During World War II, they  granted asylum to Jews and to persecuted people from other nations.

Mexico has granted political asylum in our country to thousands of victims of South American dictatorships and to political figures over many years, from Leon Trotsky in 1937 to former Vice-President Jorge Glas from Ecuador in 2024.

How does the Estrada Doctrine affect Mexico's relationship with Palestine and Israel?

In reality, it has no effect whatsoever. It is simply used as a pretext by the current government to avoid breaking diplomatic relations with the genocidal entity of Israel and to avoid antagonizing Donald Trump's imperialist government.

What does the pro-Palestine movement want the Mexican government to do? 

Palestinian Ambassador Nadya Rasheed with President Sheinbaum at the National Palace on March 19, 2025

We applaud that Claudia Sheinbaum recognized the Palestinian state recently this year and established a Palestinian embassy in Mexico City. Mexico also joined South Africa and other countries in filing a charge of genocide against Israel before the UN’s International Criminal Court.

However, Mexico could do more in the face of Israel’s barbarism.

Reviving one of our best national traditions of breaking diplomatic relations with dictatorships such as Pinochet’s in Chile and Somoza’s in Nicaragua, we call on Mexico to sever diplomatic, commercial, cultural and military relations with the Zionist state of Israel. The Israel-Mexico Free Trade Agreement should be canceled. The acquisition of any military, police, or security products or services should be prohibited.

Mexico should denounce the criminal blockade of food, water and medicine, and the use of hunger as a weapon of genocide. Mexico can insist at the UN Security Council that food be immediately distributed to the people of Gaza.

You’ve been organizing labor for Palestine. What support is there already, and how will you expand labor support?

Next we’ll organize another demonstration in the streets.

Israel is committing a crime against humanity, and we cannot remain indifferent. But also, support for Palestine constitutes part of the struggle against imperialism and colonialism, racism and the anti-worker offensive of extreme right-wing and fascist groups.

We’ve witnessed how Israel's genocidal violence is accompanied by intense repression of any resistance or solidarity from the peoples of the world who denounce it. Nations such as Germany, England, France and the US criminalize protests, violate freedom of expression and imprison hundreds of activists who are only exercising their legitimate right to civil and peaceful protest. Once again, this confirms that a nation that oppresses another, or is complicit with the oppressor, cannot be a free nation.

Mexico City is with Palestine!: Photo courtesy of Jay Watts, Photojournalist

We understand that Claudia must be “careful” and “prudent” in handling Mexico’s support for Palestine, given this difficult moment in which the US is menacing our own country. But as unions and workers, we don’t have to be so careful. We must forcefully defend the principle of sovereignty for Palestine and for any other people.

Concert in the Zócalo Says “Free Palestine”

The following article first appeared in the September 8, 2025 issue of the Tasmin News Agency. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The historic Zócalo square erupted in chants of “Palestina Libre” on Saturday night as Residente, the outspoken Puerto Rican rapper and activist, delivered a searing performance that doubled as a protest against Israel’s brutal aggression in Gaza.

The free concert, organized by the Mexico City Ministry of Culture, drew more than 180,000 in-person attendees, with an estimated 400,000 joining through livestream. The event ranked among the largest ever in the square’s history, underscoring the depth of public outrage over Israel’s crimes.

In a defining moment, Residente brought on stage the Abed family, Palestinian refugees who fled Gaza earlier this year. Their presence drew prolonged applause, as the crowd raised Palestinian flags and roared in unison against Tel Aviv’s violence.

Throughout the two-hour show, Residente fused protest anthems, Latin American pride and sharp political commentary. Wearing attire emblazoned with the Palestinian flag colors and the words “Free Palestine,” he used his platform to highlight Palestinian resilience and to condemn Western silence over Israel’s attacks.

Mexican singer Silvana Estrada joined him for a rendition of “Latinoamérica,” while Palestinian cellist Sara Dowling Al Husseini opened the evening with traditional pieces from Palestine, setting a tone of cultural defiance against occupation.

The concert unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing massacres in Gaza, where thousands have been killed under Israeli bombardment. In Mexico City, however, the response was unflinching: music, flags, and chants combined into a unified denunciation of Israel’s crimes and a demand for Palestinian freedom.

By night’s end, the Zócalo had transformed into a vast sea of resistance — a reminder that the Palestine cause continues to rally people across the globe against the occupation and its atrocities.

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For a deeper dive into current news and analysis in English,

check out our media website and the podcast ¡Soberanía! (Sovereignty) with José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth.

New episodes will now arrive weekly on Wednesdays, not Tuesdays.

Sin Muros from José Luis and Kurt is a weekly Spanish language Mexican TV show on Canal Once that analyzes Mexico-US relations. It's also on YouTube, with English subtitles.

And those of you with mad skills and/or interests we want to hear from you! Get in touch to find ways to plug in to the work. Drop a line to meizhului@gmail.com.

Recent news reports and commentaries, from progressive and mainstream media,
on life and struggles on both sides of the US-Mexico border. Compiled by Jay Watts.

Natalia Sierra, The United States, Drug Trafficking and Its Continental War Schools for Chiapas. After almost half a century of the war on drugs in Latin America, the result is total failure, as the drug trafficking business has grown stronger and spread throughout the continent. The human cost to our countries has been extremely high, with thousands of people murdered, disappeared, tortured, imprisoned, and displaced.

Mariana Domínguez Batis, “Sigo Preguntándome Dónde Están los 43”: Aquilino Mejía a 11 Años de Ayotzinapa Ibero. “México es un país de desaparecidos, asesinados y desplazados, pero la transformación no la va a hacer el gobierno, la tenemos que hacer nosotros”, concluyó.

Mexico’s “Grito de Dolores”: A Historic Cry That Lives as Cultural Ritual Telesur. Mexico’s “Grito de Dolores” is celebrated as a cultural ritual that recalls the 1810 independence cry while raising enduring questions about sovereignty, justice, and identity.

Ana Lilia Pérez, La infinita deuda que dejó Zedillo Sin Embargo. Desde su origen, el Fobaproa resultó un muy costoso atraco a la Nación no sólo por el volumen de la deuda inicial, sino por los malos manejos y cochupos que se hicieron en toda la operación

James Wagner, For the First Time in 215 Years, a Woman Leads Mexico’s Cry of Independence New York Times. Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s president, was the first woman to give the country’s annual Grito de Dolores, a tradition dating to a priest’s call to arms against Spain more than two centuries ago.

Stephanie Weatherbee y Alina Duarte, México y su Cuarta Transformación Tricontinental. Desde 2018, los gobiernos del Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (Morena) buscan revertir el neoliberalismo y democratizar el país. La batalla ideológica ha sido exitosa, pero las transformaciones económicas han avanzado menos.

Mexico: No to violence against the Global Sumud Flotilla Prensa Latina. Mexico and other countries to which members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, bound for Gaza to provide humanitarian aid, are participating, calling for avoidance of acts of violence against the initiative.

Dora Villanueva, Inversionistas de EU piden diálogo directo con gobierno de México para solucionar adeudos de TV Azteca La Jornada. Los fondos de inversión buscan “un canal de comunicación de alto nivel y efectivo con el gobierno mexicano para ser escuchados y explorar un acuerdo que garantice una solución a esta disputa”.

Steven Chase, Canada, Mexico deepen ties with signing of ‘strategic’ pact in face of U.S. trade war Globe & Mail. They said they would prioritize the development of trade infrastructure including ports, rail and energy corridors and invest and trade more in areas including energy, critical minerals and agriculture.

Darren Garcia, Carney solicitó lista de mineras canadienses que incumplen leyes ambientales: Sheinbaum Revista Contralínea. En general, calificó de “muy buena” la reunión con el primer ministro canadiense, a quien describió como “un hombre con una trayectoria impresionante: fue gobernador de dos bancos centrales”, tanto de Reino Unido como de Canadá; “pero, además, es un hombre muy sencillo, de un trato muy amable, eso facilita siempre una relación”.

The Mexico Solidarity Project brings together activists from various socialist and left organizations and individuals committed to worker and global justice. We see the 2018 election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador as president of Mexico as a watershed moment. AMLO and his progressive Morena party aim to end generations of corruption, impoverishment, and subservience to US interests. Our Project supports not just Morena, but all Mexicans struggling for basic rights, and opposes US efforts to undermine organizing and Mexico’s national sovereignty.

Editorial committee: Meizhu Lui, Bruce Hobson, Agatha Hinman, Victoria Hamlin, Courtney Childs, Pedro Gellert.  To give feedback or get involved yourself, please email us!

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