“It would detract from the value of the investiture” Putin

WASHINGTON (EFE).— The United States warned yesterday that the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin at Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration on October 1 would “detract from” the event, because the Russian leader is an “autocrat responsible for so much death and destruction” in Ukraine.

“Investitures should be celebrations of democracy and peaceful transitions of power. As a sovereign nation, Mexico is the one who decides who to invite to these events. However, the presence of an autocrat, responsible for so much death and destruction, would detract from what will be a historic moment for Mexico,” a State Department spokesperson told EFE.

The Biden administration hopes that when the Mexican government reaches out to Russian authorities, it will “make clear that it supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the United Nations Charter,” it added.

Claudia Sheinbaum justified last week the invitation to Putin, who has an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for his role in the invasion of Ukraine, because Mexico has a tradition of inviting the leaders of all the countries with which it has diplomatic relations.

“We look forward to working closely with President-elect Sheinbaum on our shared vision for a prosperous and secure North America, in a spirit of partnership and friendship that can serve as an example for the region and the world,” the spokesperson said.

At a glance

Without precisions

The president-elect did not specify whether Putin had accepted the invitation, and when asked by the press, she did not clarify whether she expected the attendance of the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, or the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.

Arrest ruled out

Unlike the United States, Mexico has ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC, meaning it would have to arrest Putin if he set foot on its territory, but President López Obrador has ruled this out.

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