Mexico City’s Zócalo was decked out on September 16 to witness the traditional military parade led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in which more than 14,000 elements of the Mexican Armed Forces marched through the Mexican capital’s central square to mark the To celebrate Independence Day of the Aztec country.
First change: 09/17/2023 – 02:55
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With no representatives from the legislative and judicial branches present, as was common in previous administrations, the current Mexican head of state toured the concentric streets of the capital while Air Force planes painted the sky in the colors of the Mexican flag.
It has been 213 years since the then Spanish colony began a struggle for independence to consolidate what the world now knows as Mexico.
In addition to the thousands of Mexican soldiers who took part in the parade, the López Obrador government invited the armies of 19 “brother” countries to take part in the celebration. Colombia, China, Russia, Chile, Brazil, Cuba, Panama, Venezuela and Uruguay were some of the nations invited to the parade.
It was the head of the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), Luis Crescencio Sandoval, who had the task of reciting a few words in memory of the struggle for independence of the Latin American country and thanking López Obrador for his donation to the army because they “supported all Mexicans with all our abilities”.
“To face all adversities, national unity must be strengthened. It has been proven that we are stronger when we act together, when we promote collective efforts, a characteristic of solidarity that has always characterized us as Mexicans,” said Sandoval.
Airplanes fly overhead during the military parade celebrating Independence Day in Mexico City, Mexico, September 16, 2023. © Portal / Raquel Cunha
On the other hand, the Mexican president, although he did not speak at the parade and limited himself only to greeting the cameras and those present, thanked the participation of the Armed Forces through a message on his X account.
“Long live Mexico! Death to corruption!”
On the night of September 15, Mexico celebrates the call of independence, with the head of state, in turn, celebrating the country’s history and the national heroes who made the country’s birth possible, in memory of the deeds of Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. Independence state.
Since the beginning of his term in office, Andrés Manuel López Obrador has caused controversy among citizens, as he praised not only the personalities of historical figures of the country, but also values such as equality, freedom and justice, like all his predecessors, AMLO has a protest area against racism, Added corruption and discrimination.
“Let discrimination die! Long live love! Long live our migrant brothers! (…) Long live Mexico!” exclaimed the Mexican President in Mexico City on the night of September 15th.
People attend the “Grito de Independencia” ceremony commemorating Mexico’s independence from Spain in Zócalo Square in central Mexico City, Mexico, September 15, 2023. © Via Portal / Presidency of Mexico
Divisions in the Mexican government
Mexican independence celebrations were marked by the absence of representatives of both legislative and judicial power in the formal acts of the executive branch, a practice that, although not required by law, was consistent with a governmental tradition.
It was on September 14th that López Obrador announced in one of his morning conferences that he would not invite representatives of the other branches of government, saying that they did not have “good relations” and also accused them of being “against the people “. .”
The rift between the different levels of government in Mexico is evident after the Supreme Court rejected up to two times the electoral law reform promoted by the president that would dissolve the figure of the National Electoral Institute (INE) to make way for a restructuring of Mexico’s electoral authority. A move that is causing controversy among a large part of Mexicans.
With EFE and local media