Land of mariachis and festivals
Eduardo Villegas Megías, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States to the Russian Federation, unveiled the pages of Mexican history, the traditional holiday of the city of Chiapas, and the culture of mariachi to USUE students.
Mr. Megias recalled that diplomatic relations between Russia and Mexico were officially established on December 11, 1890. He said that ambassadors usually could not choose the country where they would carry out a diplomatic mission: “However I had such an opportunity, and I consciously chose Russia in December 2021, because it interested me more than other countries, and I am still interested in being here.”
This is not the first time Eduardo Villegas Megías visited USUE: in 2024, he already spoke at EEYF and presented the university with the book "History of the Mexican People". Its translations into Russian is currently underway. Each chapter of this publication talks about the social upheavals that occurred in Mexico over the centuries. But despite all the difficulties, the country recovered each time. And, of course, there have been many joyful events in the lives of Mexicans.
For example, the book tells how the XIX Summer Olympic Games were held in Mexico in 1968. At that time, the Mexican capital received 30 votes, ahead of Detroit, Lyon, and Buenos Aires. At that time, the Olympics were held in Latin America for the first time. At the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame was lit for the first time by a woman – Mexican Enriqueta Basilio. That year, Soviet athletes distinguished themselves in the competition, for example, fencers and gymnasts, who won five gold medals.
Sports plays an important role for Mexicans: “One of the inseparable features of our culture is the love for football. A question people ask each other when they meet is: ‘Which team do you cheer for?’ It is important for us that two Mexican players are also members of Russian football teams. For example, Cesar Montes is a center back for Moscow's Lokomotiv, and Luis Gerardo Chávez Magallón is a midfielder for Moscow's Dynamo. This means that in your country they were considered strong enough players to sign a contract with them." Eduardo Villegas Megías says.
The ambassador expressed hope that citizens of Russia and Mexico would be able to better understand each other's cultures in the future, especially music, because both nations have unique, original ways of expressing themselves. Take, for example, the traditional holiday in Chiapas - the Parachicos Festival, which is held in January in Chiapa de Corzo. It is dedicated to three Catholic saints: Saint Anthony Abbot, Our Lord of Esquipulas and, most importantly, Saint Sebastian. On this day, local residents go outside and dance in a carnival procession.
Ambassador Eduardo Villegas Megías also said that the traditional musical genre of his country, mariachi, might be close and understandable to many people in Russia. As a rule, musicians performing compositions in this style play guitars and trumpets, wearing huge wide-brimmed hats. This image has become a kind of a calling card of Mexica. UNESCO has recognized the art of mariachi as an intangible heritage of humanity. In 2024, Mexica hosted the International Mariachi Congress, during which more than a hundred musicians simultaneously performed a famous Mexican song.
Eduardo Villegas Megías also showed the students the flag of his country, which features Aztec symbols: an eagle holding a snake while standing on a cactus. The bird represents strength, power, and freedom. The snake symbolizes wisdom and renewal. According to Aztec legend, the deity Huitzilopochtli instructed the people to build their capital exactly where they would see an eagle eating a snake on a cactus.
The ambassador stressed that it is important to establish connections and diplomatic relations so that citizens of both countries could enjoy the best that the friendly country has to offer. And these are not only sports and culture, but also, for example, quality education.
"There are not many Mexicans living in Russia yet, and they are mostly students. It is very important to establish links between universities in our countries so that young people could study at universities, for example, through exchange programs. I would also like Russians to have an opportunity to come and study in Mexica, to see the beauty of our nature and get to know our sights," Eduardo Villegas Megías, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico, summed up his speech.
Besides as part of the 15th EEYF, they held international Diplomatic Forum "Economic Cooperation in the Eurasian Space: Synergy and Balance of Interests". It was attended by 76 foreign and Russian officials of diplomatic missions.
