The Fourth Shift returned on Saturday to the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) inaugurating the literary event with the help of Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard. In a brief speech, the most succinct of the nearly a dozen entities that participated in the event, the Minister of Economy praised the role of the fair: “All of Mexico is proud of FIL.” Ebrard’s presence and words represent a shift from the past six years, when no high-ranking representative of the Moreno government sat in the noble parliament. presidency From the gallery. Ebrard added that FIL represents “freedom, culture, respect for ideas, universality and everything that is dearest and dearest to us, the values that we admire and love.”
The new harmony between the government and the fair was achieved by handing over recognition, in the form of a commemorative plaque, to the University of Guadalajara, the entity promoting the fair, by its founder, Raul Padilla, the university’s former rector who died two years ago. Padilla himself, a powerful cultural manager and political operative, was highly critical of cuts in culture budgets during the early years of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s government (2018-2024).
After years of clashes, this Saturday was all winks and kind words. Ebrard praised FIL’s “perseverance, excellence and commitment” over the nearly four decades since its first edition in 1987, promoting Guadalajara internationally as a benchmark for cultural promotion.
“President Claudia Sheinbaum has asked me to convey her greetings, her message, her love, her appreciation and her appreciation. She has asked me to present a very special certificate today, the first that we have made in Mexico in accordance with current law and regulations, for a process that is not related to a product: a process and an idea that is FIL, which has led to the transformation of this fair into one of the largest in the world,” the secretary said before handing the certificate to Carla Planter, current Dean of the University of Guadalajara.
Ebrard’s words contradict statements made two years ago by then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who described the literary event as a “right-wing secret meeting” and who refused to accept any invitation “because of his conservative inclinations.” Lopez Obrador’s statements against the exhibition caused dozens of politicians from his Morena party to reject the literary event and avoid participating in it. During Claudia Sheinbaum’s 2023 presidential campaign, the then-candidate canceled her participation at the last minute.
In this edition, in addition to Ebrard, the Minister of the Supreme Court, Yasmin Esquivel, attended the exhibition to present one of her books, accompanied by Minister Loretta Ortiz, both of whom belong to the official movement. Also in attendance was businesswoman Altagracia Gomez, director of Mensa and Sheinbaum’s economic affairs advisor.