The President of the Catalan Generalitat, Salvador Illa, in his speech at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), reiterated the idea that all those who contribute to the development of Catalan society must enjoy equal rights and obligations, in a clear allusion to the role of migration and integration. According to the reference media, Illa pointed out the importance of recognizing the contribution of migrants to the social cohesion of Catalonia and warned of the negative effects that exclusion can have by reinforcing inequalities.
During the conference entitled “Catalonia: a time of coexistence and shared prosperity”, Illa, according to the aforementioned media, explained that Spanish democracy “has a lot to thank Mexico” and argued that this country had offered refuge to exiles and key figures of Catalan culture during critical periods of the 20th century, which involved not only the protection of lives, but also the protection of cultural memory and democratic foundations that influenced the development of modern Spain. The Catalan leader contextualized this legacy within the framework of international solidarity, highlighting how the Mexican experience enabled the preservation of values that were later relevant to Spain’s democratic transition.
According to the media interviewed, Illa used the academic forum to highlight the dangers of maintaining inequality in current societies. He found that systems that favor unfavorable accumulation contribute to the erosion of ethical and democratic foundations and, in the long term, weaken social structures. “A disproportionately unequal world is neither economically competitive nor morally acceptable. And democratically it is doomed to fail,” he said in a passage from his message quoted by the media.
The intervention took place on a university campus characterized by its openness to pluralistic debates. As the same media reported, Illa aimed her message at encouraging reflection on the need to foreground equality, justice and empathy in the development of public policies. He stressed that, given the challenges of globalization and displacement, it is urgent to develop measures that respond to the needs of the most vulnerable and strengthen integration into the social fabric.
In his analysis of migration and globalization, Illa, according to media reports, emphasized the danger of “globalization of indifference,” a phenomenon that particularly affects those who are forced to leave their countries of origin. In this context, he called on the international community to build supportive societies and acknowledged Mexico’s history as a host country for Spanish and Catalan exiles. He emphasized the importance of learning from this welcoming tradition today.
According to the media, the aim of his visit was also to strengthen historical and cultural relations between Mexico and Catalonia. Illa suggested strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, social affairs and education, as dialogue and cooperation can provide effective answers to global challenges such as inequality and global governance. He also emphasized the importance of forming a shared democratic memory as a framework for the transition to more just societies.
During the conference, the President of the Generalitat presented arguments for rethinking the economic and political models that determine coexistence. As reported in the media, he suggested that development strategies should focus on public well-being and collective prosperity, overcoming concepts that focus on immediate profitability or material accumulation. He emphasized that solidarity must be at the heart of integration processes, as an indispensable element for sustainable economic growth and the stability of states.
During his speech, Illa invited UNAM students and academics to participate in a broader debate on the consequences of persistent inequality and the challenges facing democracies in the current international context. According to specialist media reports, the event ended with an exchange of views on democratic coexistence and possibilities for more inclusive and fair governance.
In her assessment of the historical process that binds Mexico and Catalonia, Illa described the connection between both societies highlighted by the media as an example of cooperation and defense of humanitarian and democratic values. During the day, he again placed at the center of the discussion the urgency of incorporating humanistic principles into public policy in the face of trends that emphasize only market criteria.
In addition, according to the aforementioned media, the Catalan president reiterated that strengthening democracy requires overcoming limited approaches to economic growth. He suggested that social and economic systems need to be redesigned to enable equal opportunities and general well-being, with solidarity as the starting point.
Illa’s statements, collected by the media, underlined the will to reach a common narrative of solidarity between peoples and emphasized the intention to use bilateral cooperation as an effective tool in the face of current challenges. In this context, he stressed the need for both Catalonia and Mexico to further promote the global debate on the guiding principles that enable more cohesive, inclusive and stable societies.