Honoring the Niños Héroes and Charting a New Path Forward for Mexico and the Americas

Dear Friends and Fellow Citizens,

As we gather to commemorate the anniversary of the Niños Héroes—the six young cadets who bravely gave their lives defending Mexico City’s Chapultepec Castle against U.S. forces in 1847—we reflect not only on their sacrifice, but also on the ongoing struggle for Mexican sovereignty in the face of repeated U.S. interventions.

The story of the Niños Héroes is a cornerstone of Mexican identity. Juan de la Barrera, Juan Escutia, Francisco Márquez, Vicente Suárez, Agustín Melgar, and Fernando Montes de Oca—mere teenagers—stood against overwhelming odds, choosing honor and country over surrender. Their actions during the Mexican-American War are a solemn reminder of the cost of defending our nation and the perils of imperial ambition. The war itself, justified in the U.S. under the guise of the Monroe Doctrine, was in part a campaign to expand the institution of slavery into Mexican territory. This dark chapter in North American history is too often glossed over north of the border, but for us, it is a lesson in vigilance and resilience.

Yet, the 1847 invasion was not the first nor the last time Mexican sovereignty has been violated by its northern neighbor. The U.S. incursions of the 19th and 20th centuries—whether in the form of military interventions, economic pressures, or political meddling—have left indelible marks. We need only recall the Pershing Expedition of 1916, the occupation of Veracruz in 1914, or the more recent, thinly veiled threats to Mexico’s autonomy under the Trump Administration, which in early 2026 saw renewed cross-border military action under the pretense of combating drug cartels and organized crime.

These interventions are often justified by noble-sounding rhetoric: the spread of democracy, the fight against drugs, or the protection of U.S. interests. But let us be honest about their true motivations. The so-called War on Drugs, which has devastated families and communities across the Americas, is a prime example. This war was never about public safety. As John Ehrlichman, a top aide to President Nixon, admitted in the 1990s, it was a pretext to control minority populations within the U.S. and to extend American dominance over countries in the Western Hemisphere.

As a candidate for Congress and as your representative, I have made it my mission to end this fabricated war once and for all. The War on Drugs has failed by every conceivable measure: it has not reduced addiction, it has not eliminated violence, and it has not respected the sovereignty of nations like ours. Instead, it has fueled corruption, police brutality, and foreign interventions. It is time for an honest reckoning.

We have much to learn from countries like Portugal and the Netherlands, which have chosen to legalize, regulate, and tax previously illicit substances. These nations have seen rates of addiction and overdose decline, while freeing up resources for public health and harm reduction. Imagine a Mexico—and a Nevada—where people who choose to use drugs do so in safe, regulated environments, much like a Starbucks where one can purchase ecstasy or cocaine, knowing exactly what is in their product. This would not only protect users from contaminated substances and criminal exploitation, but also safeguard the rights of those who choose not to consume.

This vision is not utopian. In Nevada, we have already commodified cannabis, alcohol, and even sex work. Why not apply the same pragmatic, evidence-based approach to all substances? By doing so, we remove the pretext for foreign military action, reduce the power of criminal cartels, and restore autonomy to our communities. We can lead the nation—and the hemisphere—in ending a century-old war that has been as destructive as it is futile.

This is why I ran for Congress. To defend our sovereignty, to honor the memory of the Niños Héroes, and to ensure that never again will our country be used as a battleground for someone else’s war. Let us remember the courage of those six young cadets, not only as a tale of patriotism, but as an ongoing call to action. Let us fight for policies that respect human rights, public health, and the principles of self-determination.

Together, we can build a future where the tragedies of the past are not repeated—where Mexico, Nevada, and all the Americas can chart their own course, free from foreign domination and the destructive legacy of the War on Drugs.

With hope and determination,

Gamy Enriquez, MPA

Former Nevada Congressional Candidate

References:

"John Ehrlichman Interview," Dan Baum, Harper’s Magazine, April 2016, quoting Ehrlichman’s 1994 interview (originally published online at: https://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/)

"The War on Drugs Was Always About Race," The New York Times, May 22, 2022."The Niños Héroes," Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ninos-Heroes"Portugal’s

Drug Policy: Treating, Not Punishing Addicts," The Guardian, December 5, 2017."Legal Regulation of Drugs: A Necessary Step,"

Transform Drug Policy Foundation, https://transformdrugs.org"U.S. Interventions in Mexico: A Historical Overview,"

Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-mexico-relations