People’s Mañanera May 11

ByPedro Gellert

Every day, President Claudia Sheinbaum gives a morning presidential press conference and Mexico Solidarity Media posts English language summaries, translated by Mexico Solidarity’s Pedro Gellert. Previous press conference summaries are available here.

Mexico Canta 2026: Youth, Culture, and Uncensored Transformation
President Claudia Sheinbaum presented the second edition of Mexico Canta as part of a strategy to address social causes of crime, promoting music free from violence and discrimination.

The 2025 edition drew 15,000 participants, while the 2026 call for entries will be open until June 10 for young people aged 18 to 29, focusing on regional Mexican music with contemporary fusions. Semifinals will be held in California and Mazatlán, and the winners will perform on September 15 in Mexico City’s Zócalo square.

Popular support and principles: sovereignty with the people’s backing
The President emphasized that, despite smear campaigns, polls show high approval ratings, citing 74% support in the Reporte Índigo survey.

Sheinbaum stated that during her tours she senses support from the people, especially for the defense of national sovereignty, and maintained that this backing continues because the movement has not strayed from its principles. In fact, “we must adhere more to our principles,” she argued.

Historical memory and Indigenous justice: the 4T confronts colonialism
Sheinbaum described the visit to Mexico by Díaz Ayuso (president of the Community of Madrid) as “a failure” and noted that the PRIAN aligned itself with a Spanish right-wing that glorifies Hernán Cortés and a colonial outlook.

She endorsed the debate initiated by President López Obrador on the Conquest and affirmed that recognizing the greatness of Indigenous peoples is key to combating the racism and classism inherited from the colonial era. Sheinbaum emphasized that it was the 4T that constitutionally enshrined Indigenous peoples’ rights.

School Calendar: National Consensus and Support for Families
The President clarified that the modification to the school calendar was an agreement unanimously approved by the heads of the 31 state departments of education.

In response to parents’ concerns about a long vacation period, Sheinbaum reported that efforts will be made to maintain six weeks of vacation and that the issue will be discussed again by consensus between the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) and educational authorities in the states.