Against the countercurrent, as always. This is how Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller has been since he broke into public life as wife of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He never felt comfortable with the title of “First Lady”, and made it clear from the beginning: he would not accept it or embody it. His profile did not fit the traditional mold. Neither vase nor celebrity. Intellectual, journalist, doctor in literary theory, occasional poet. Today, it returns to holders, not for controversial statements against the colonial past or ideological positions, but for a decision that has aroused a wave of curiosity: its possible move to Spain.
The same Spain to which in 2019, with strong historical conviction, demanded an apology for the abuses committed during the conquest. The same Spain that today, paradoxically, could become its new home.
According to diplomatic transcenders, Gutiérrez Müller has approached the Spanish consulate in Mexico City to explore the roads that would allow him to access Spanish citizens, apparently for academic reasons. From its environment, it is affirmed that interest responds to the desire to continue its intellectual work in European universities. From the outside, the paradox is evident. It is not any move. Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller is a public figure – although he hated him – and the symbolism of his decision does not go unnoticed. On more than one occasion, the historian reiterated her criticisms of the Spanish crown, arguing from an academic perspective the need to review the narrative of the conquest of America. It was, in fact, the main driver of the letter sent by López Obrador to King Felipe VI in 2019, in which an act of formal contrition was requested by the Spanish State. That letter generated a diplomatic crisis that still collected.
Double standards
Therefore, his current interest in establishing himself in Spain – although he is justified by his family roots in Castilla and Catalonia – has generated more than one raised eyebrow. A contradiction or evolution? For some, the symbol of a double standard; For others, the manifestation of a woman who, beyond the flags, seeks to remain faithful to her academic vocation.
The contrast between Gutiérrez Müller and his predecessor in Los Pinos, Angélica Rivera, could not be more marked. Rivera, known as “La Gaviota,” arrived at the presidential residence after a successful career as a soap opera actress. His passage through power was marked by the scandal, especially after the dissemination of a report that evidenced the acquisition of a luxury house allegedly linked to government contracts. His public defense, based on his history as a Televisa star, did not convince everyone.
Gutiérrez Müller, on the other hand, arrived in Palacio Nacional with a trajectory of his own, forged in universities, writings and libraries. He published books, obtained a doctorate, worked as a communication advisor and always remained in the background, although not exempt from influence. It was key in the creation and direction of the Advisory Council of the National Coordination of Historical and Cultural Memory of Mexico, from where it promoted a revisionist vision of the national past. He did not occupy official positions, but his footprint is in several ideological axes of the Lopezobradorista government.
She has been her husband’s iron defender before the attacks of the press. In an interview with Marisa Iglesias, during the 2018 election campaign, he strongly criticized the rumors about the physical and mental health of the then candidate, attacking what he called “a campaign of misrepresentation and paranoia”. His direct tone, without concessions, became a distinctive seal.
On a personal level, the love story between Beatriz and Andrés Manuel began in the halls of the Federal District government. She, journalist and advisor; He, head of government. His relationship was consolidated in 2006, after the electoral defeat of López Obrador, and in 2007 his son Jesus Ernesto was born. Unlike traditional presidential families, yours opted for privacy. His son has lived in London for seasons, and they have gone through periods of distancing, according to journalistic versions.
A step to the side
Now, with López Obrador leaving the presidency and Claudia Sheinbaum assuming power, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller seems ready to step aside, without scandals, without communications, but with a decision of high symbolic content. From Spain, he could continue his work as a researcher, far from the Mexican political noise, and perhaps closer to silence that claims the poetry he loves so much.
Is it contradictory to settle in the country that one day forgiveness was requested for historical grievances? Maybe. But it is also an irony worthy of who has made history his battlefield. Because if Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller has demonstrated, he does not fear paradoxes. He thinks and, now, maybe he also lives them.