On October 2, 2024, the Mexican government, through the Secretariat of the Interior (SEGOB), issued a public apology for the violent repression of the student protests that occurred on October 2, 1968. This marks the first formal apology in the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
During a press conference, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, head of SEGOB, stated, “I address you on behalf of the Mexican state for the acts of violence committed on October 2, 1968.” She further described the events as a crime against humanity executed by the highest authorities of the public power.
Ernestina Godoy, legal advisor to the presidency, read the decree that will take effect upon publication in the Official Journal of the Federation, which aims to contribute to the historical memory of the massacre and politically recognize the acts perpetrated in 1968, which were deemed “constitutive of a crime against humanity” committed by then-President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz.
The decree also mandates SEGOB to offer a public apology for this “government atrocity” and establishes a commitment to prevent similar events from occurring in the future, emphasizing the importance of not repressing the population through violence.
President Sheinbaum described the 1968 student movement as “one of the greatest atrocities” in Mexico's history, resulting in over 300 deaths and numerous political prisoners. She noted, “For me, it is a duty today. I have said on other occasions that I am a child of '68; my mother participated in that student movement.”
Sheinbaum highlighted that the 1968 student movement paved the way for increased political participation among youth and society, leading to a more democratic Mexico, culminating in the electoral victory of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2018, which she views as a recovery of freedoms, democracy, and justice for the Mexican people.