An unforeseen visitor arrived in the DQ during February and March. The colorful Mexican rag doll “Lele”— whose name means “baby” in the indigenous Otomi language— traveled through Riyadh with the Embassy of Mexico, as part of the #LelePorElMundo (Lele travels the world) campaign implemented by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs to showcase Mexico’s cultural traditions and ethnic and linguistic diversity.
Making visible the contributions of indigenous women in Mexican society
If one word could define Mexico it would be: diversity. Mexican heterogeneity can be seen from different social perspectives, including the indigenous communities that are an intrinsic part of this country since its origins as Nation.
Mexico is home of 68 indigenous populations that come from ancient civilizations, and their languages, including the Otomíes, who are the fifth largest indigenous community in Mexico and live in several states of the country, mainly in Hidalgo, Estado de México and Querétaro—where Lele hails from. As weaving and knitting are among the main crafts conducted by this group, especially by women, Otomi weavers created the Lele doll.
Lele, which means ‘baby’ in Otomi, is originally from the municipality of Amealco, located in the State of Querétaro, and was designated as cultural heritage from this State on April 18, 2018. The doll has long braids, a headband of colorful bows and wears the traditional clothing of her creators, who preserve their Otomi culture and express it through their crafts, cuisine and festivals.
Due to her originality, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, in collaboration with the State of Queretaro, launched in January 2023 the public diplomacy campaign #LelePorElMundo (Lele travels the world) in order to make Lele visible throughout the world and, at the same time, showcase the importance of indigenous women and their contributions in Mexican society. All this having as a framework a national strategy of Public Diplomacy that includes other cultural programs and actions abroad.
The goal is to raise awareness worldwide of the cultural traditions and ethnic and linguistic richness of our communities by showcasing their most emblematic handiwork internationally with the help of Mexico’s network of embassies and consulates.
The Embassy of Mexico in Riyadh conducted an intense social media campaign, mainly on Twitter and Instagram. The #LeleInSaudi campaign showcased Lele in Riyadh’s most emblematic spots, including Kingdom Tower, Maskmak Fortress and the UNESCO site Al-Turaif in Diriyah. Likewise, the Embassy did a #LeleInSaudi photo contest on Instagram, with the winner of the best photo getting a hold of another Lele as prize.
There is no doubt that Lele’s visit to Riyadh was enriching and successful. It also helped to display Mexican diversity as well as to highlight the increasingly role that women and girls play in society, whether in Mexico, Saudi Arabia or all over the world.
Being March a month to remember the struggle of women to defend their rights to live an equal life, free of violence, Lele´s presence can be also a reminder of Mexico´s determination to contribute to ending violence against women and girls.
Lele left Riyadh with great nostalgia and is grateful for the Saudi hospitality. She hopes to return soon to continue making Mexico’s cultural heritage known to other cities in Saudi Arabia.
