Sheinbaum Inaugurates National Agrarian Center Honoring Mexico's Land Struggles

President Claudia Sheinbaum has inaugurated the National Agrarian Attention Center, a facility dedicated to preserving millions of historical documents related to land rights in Mexico. Located within the General Agrarian Archive, the center safeguards decrees of land restitution and an extensive collection of documents and plans spanning 45 linear kilometers.

During the inauguration, Sheinbaum inscribed a message in the visitor's book, stating, "In homage to the struggles of the people of Mexico for the collective recognition of land. Congratulations to all who safeguard historical memory." The event, however, did not include a formal speech from the president.

Edna Vega Rangel, head of the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (Sedatu), emphasized the center's significance, ranking it second only to the General National Archive. She noted that the documents are meticulously organized by state, municipality, and ejido, preserving the ideals of the 1911 Plan of Ayala and Emiliano Zapata's principle, "The land belongs to those who work it."

The center's collection includes records from the National Agrarian Commission, established in 1917, which is the precursor to the Agrarian Registry. These documents form the "Ejidal" group within the archive. Vega Rangel also highlighted the continuity of agrarian policies, referencing former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's focus on Cardenist ideals and the current administration's Plans of Justice for indigenous communities, which continue to generate new historical documents.

The facility houses the National Agrarian Registry, the Agrarian Prosecutor's Office, and the General Agrarian Archive. Book number 13, dedicated to land restitution decrees, has been opened. Since late 2022, when the building's construction began, over 60,000 hectares of land have been restituted and registered, a process supported by both López Obrador's and Sheinbaum's administrations.