Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Reads Poem by Journalist Absalón Opazo at Reading Marathon

Original article: Poema de Absalón Opazo, periodista de El Ciudadano, es leído por la Presidenta de México

Claudia Sheinbaum led the collective reading of the poem «La Dignidad» by writer and editor Absalón Opazo during a Reading Marathon in Jalisco.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recited a poem written by Absalón Opazo, a journalist for El Ciudadano and a prominent cultural figure from Valparaíso, as part of an official initiative promoting reading. This event linked independent literature from Valparaíso with the highest political levels in Mexico, taking place during the «Maratones por la Lectura,» organized by the Mexican Subsecretariat of Public Education.

The selected poem, «La Dignidad,» was penned by Opazo in 2005 and originally published independently in his book «La Periferia.» The piece was brought to the official platform through the author’s personal blog, from which it was extracted for this occasion.

The reading took place collectively at the main event held in Jalisco, where the President shared the poem with a group of students. This activity was part of a broader day focused on promoting peace and preventing addiction.

In a conversation with Absalón Opazo, he shared details on how his poem featured in this unprecedented event. «They contacted me beforehand to ask for permission to use the text during the Reading Marathons. It was a nationwide activity, and the main event in Jalisco was led by the President, who read the poem alongside students.»

The author, hailing from Valparaíso, noted that this is not the first time this particular poem has crossed borders, always connected to social themes. «It has been used before, in Spain and Colombia, always tied to the themes of peace and human rights,» Opazo added, expressing his excitement that Mexico’s first president has read his poem.

Thus, «La Dignidad» joins a number of literary works that, originating from independent creation, resonate in official discourses and educational campaigns internationally.

LA DIGNIDAD

The dignity does not forget
like breath is not forgotten
the love
the country
the songs
the poems
the hills
the sea.

The dignity does not forget
it rises
and it doesn’t matter how:
with stones crossing the sky
with rags painted red
with poetry trembling
in the passage of the people:
dignity is mine
it’s yours, ours
until the end of time
and no one was born here
with the right to take it away.