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By: Teodoro Rentería Arroyave, Journalist and Writer.
Guest Column: Timely Commentary
In his article for “El Heraldo de México,” colleague Gustavo Rentería Villa discusses the heartfelt speech by Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres Guadarrama honoring the great political icon Porfirio Alejandro Muñoz Ledo y Lazo de la Vega, who would have turned 91 on Tuesday, July 23, and whose first death anniversary was commemorated on July 9. He notes that Muñoz Ledo contributed to one of the most advanced constitutions as the executive secretary of the Drafting Commission for the Constitution of Mexico City, where he rekindled his friendship with my late father, Don Teodoro. Muñoz Ledo listened to us, and the original Constitution of Mexico City mandates the guarantee of the journalist’s inalienable right to professional secrecy.
The Cuban journalist José Dos Santos, a leading figure in the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC) during the difficult Special Period, has passed away. He was a staunch advocate for the labor rights of press workers and a supporter of organizations such as the Latin American Federation of Journalists (FELAP), the Union of Press Workers of Buenos Aires (UTPBA), the Federation of Mexican Journalists Associations (FAPERMEX), and the National College of Journalism Graduates (CONALIPE). We deeply mourn his loss and extend condolences to Mary, his partner, and his children. In memoriam.
Just 48 hours later, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has now surpassed the arrogant Republican Donald Trump by two points in a new poll, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race. Harris, the “first lady of everything,” stands at 44 percent, compared to Trump’s 42 percent in voter intention, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted two days after Biden’s announcement of his exit and his endorsement of Harris.
Additionally, a PBS News poll found that 87 percent of Americans agree with Biden’s decision to exit the campaign, a sentiment that crosses partisan and generational lines. In the same vein, 41 percent believe Biden’s decision increases the Democrats’ chances in November, 24 percent think it decreases them, and 34 percent believe it makes no difference.
Both surveys were published after Trump’s attack at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
Why this initial favorable shift for Kamala Harris? It’s largely due to her forceful attack on Trump at her first rally after Biden’s resignation: “I was a prosecutor, I know people like him,” Harris asserted emphatically, as the likely Democratic presidential candidate. She energized her campaign team in Wilmington, Delaware, declaring, “When we stay united, we win.”
Harris emphasized her role as Attorney General, a position she held for San Francisco from 2004 to 2011 and for California from 2011 to 2017 before becoming a senator and then vice president. “I’ve seen predators of all kinds—predators harassing women, fraudsters cheating consumers, cheaters breaking their own rules. So listen to me when I say I know people like Donald Trump. And in this campaign, I will proudly fight against him.”
She also addressed one of her core issues, abortion, saying, “The government shouldn’t tell a woman what to do with her body,” and warned that Trump’s re-election would lead to tax breaks for big corporations, cuts to Social Security and Medicare, weakened middle class, and reduced access to healthcare. “These are two conflicting visions: one, ours, focused on the future; the other, on the past.”
She accused Republicans of aiming to “strip citizens of rights and freedom,” urging voters to consider what kind of country they want: one of freedom, compassion, and rights, or one of chaos, fear, and hate. With 106 days until the elections, she called for action, urging people to knock on doors, talk to people, make calls, and win the election.
Thus, Harris delivered her first impromptu rally in her quest to become the first woman to lead the White House in 248 years of U.S. history. Her speech was strong, firm, and direct in denouncing Trump as a danger to the U.S. and the world.
Journalist and writer; president of the National College of Journalism Graduates (CONALIPE); secretary of Social Development of the Latin American Federation of Journalists (FELAP); founder and honorary life president of the Federation of Mexican Journalists Associations (FAPERMEX); member of the Advisory Council of Club Primera Plana; Honorary Doctorate from the International University; and Full Academic of the National Academy of History and Geography (ANHG). I welcome your comments and critiques at teodororenteriaa@gmail.com. Tune in to Libertas Radio frequencies across the Republic. Visit: www.felap.info, www.ciap-felap.org, www.fapermex.org, and the portal: irradianoticias.com
