Merida City Historian Apologizes After Controversial Remarks About New Appointee

Merida, Yucatan — Merida’s city historian Gonzalo Navarrete Muñoz issued a public apology following controversy over social media comments questioning the appointment of María Teresa Mézquita Méndez as the city’s new chronicler. The apology came a week after the remarks sparked public criticism and demands for his removal.

In his statement, Navarrete explained that the contentious content was a text written approximately twelve years ago that he recently reposted under his own responsibility. He acknowledged that the message contains expressions that could be offensive to various people.

Through his publication, the historian expressed regret for the discomfort caused and offered apologies to historian María Teresa Mézquita Méndez, the Merida City Council, and his colleagues on the Council of Chroniclers. He recognized the importance of the cultural work they perform and the public responsibility that comes with the position.

The apology followed calls from feminist groups including “Ya no somos invisibles” and the Frente por los Derechos de las Mujeres de Yucatán, who asked Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada to dismiss Navarrete Muñoz, considering his comments misogynistic.

In the message that sparked the controversy, the historian had stated that Mézquita Méndez, known as “Teté” Mézquita, did not belong to the chronicle genre and that, in his opinion, she lacked publications about Merida that would justify her appointment, triggering a wave of criticism on social media. In his apology, Navarrete recognized that his words, though originating from another time, have effects in the present and must be assumed with responsibility.