International
Mexico weaves fashion policy to help Indigenous communities
| Par AFP | Samir Tounsi |
Clothing designers inspired by traditional Mexican motifs, embroidery and colors are exhibiting their work at a fashion fair in Mexico City promoted by the government to support marginalized Indigenous communities.
Traditional blouses made by the Tzotzil people of Chiapas, embroidered patterns from Michoacan and shirts from Oaxaca were among the garments on show at the first of seven parades at the “Original” event.
“The creation of each product made in our community is a legacy of our ancestors,” said Carlos Alberto Delgado Martinez, one of around 500 exhibitors at the event, which runs until Sunday at the Los Pinos former presidential residence.
“It’s important that we artisans save our culture and defend it from plagiarism because each garment has a meaning. Each embroidery has an explanation,” he added.
As with the first edition in 2021, “Original” aims to fight what Mexico calls plagiarism of Indigenous textiles by foreign clothing brands, and to create a more equitable fashion industry.
“We’re not opposed to (the big fashion houses) using motifs of pre-Hispanic origin” as long as they recognize “the intellectual work and creativity” of Mexican artisans, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Friday.
“The government is pursuing a policy of rehabilitating the dignity of Indigenous peoples,” Lopez Obrador’s spokesman Jesus Ramirez Cuevas told AFP.
“Mexico would not be what it is without its Indigenous peoples,” he said, underlining the government’s social programs for impoverished such communities.
“It’s time for them to play a central role in the construction of the (country’s) identity. Today, we recognize their art,” he added.
Mexico has lodged several complaints against major clothing brands including Zara, Mango and SHEIN for alleged cultural appropriation.
Last month it won an apology from US fashion house Ralph Lauren after Lopez Obrador’s wife Beatriz Gutierrez accused it of plagiarizing Indigenous designs.
French designer Isabel Marant also apologized in 2020 for the use of the traditional patterns from an Indigenous community.
Mexico’s culture ministry has called for “ethical collaboration” between clothing brands and artisans.
“No to plagiarism. No to cultural appropriation. Yes to original creations and the communities behind them,” Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto said.
The government is also trying to retrieve pre-Hispanic archaeological pieces from abroad and stop foreign auctions of such items that Lopez Obrador has branded “immoral.”
“You want to buy Mexican art? Buy this one, which is alive,” Frausto said, pointing to models dressed in blouses, shirts and belts made by Indigenous artisans.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
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