Final “Grito de Independencia”
Mexico City, Sep 15 (EFE).-
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Sunday celebrated his sixth and final Grito de Independencia in government, a massive event in a packed Zócalo in Mexico City.
There, he showed his political muscle before he hands power to incoming president Claudia Sheinbaum on Oct. 1.
At 11 pm (05:00 GMT on Monday) López Obrador went onto the central balcony of the National Palace with the Mexican flag, previously carried by cadets from the military college, to give the traditional “grito” (cry) in commemoration of the 214th anniversary of the beginning of Mexico’s independence.
“Mexicans, Mexicans!” began López Obrador, who continued with: “Long live the Independence of Mexico!” and then came the “long live!” to the independence heroes: Miguel Hidalgo, Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, Ignacio Allende, Leona Vicario, José María Morelos and Pavón and Vicente Guerrero, the anonymous heroes and heroines.
He continued with speeches for freedom, equality, justice, democracy, honesty, Mexican sovereignty and universal brotherhood.
“Mexicans, Mexicans, death to corruption, greed, racism, discrimination!” he said, and continued with “long live!” to love, workers, migrant brothers, indigenous peoples, cultural greatness, all citizens and the fourth transformation, his political and ideological program.
López Obrador closed with raising the flag and ringing the Dolores bell that, according to tradition, the priest Hidalgo rang in 1810 to call for the beginning of the independence feat, before the singing of the Mexican national anthem.
Then came a few minutes of fireworks and traditional Mexican music and the performance of the musical group Banda MS.
The stage of the ceremony, the capital’s Zócalo, the most important public and political square in the country, received more than 120,000 people, the vast majority supporters of López Obrador.
The legacy
Hours earlier, López Obrador, with Sheinbaum as an honorary witness, signed the decree for the publication of the judicial reform, to elect judges by popular vote, in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
“I am going to sign the decree for the publication of the reform of the constitution with the purpose of improving the judicial branch, because we need justice to reach everyone, so that there is no corruption,” López Obrador said in a video from the National Palace published on social media.
“We are going to sign this initiative to reform the judicial branch, we are going to sign it on this historic day, September 15, Mexico’s Independence Day,” he added.
Celebrations suspended
Due to the increasing violence this week, with 33 dead and the same number of forced disappearances, the Sinaloa government suspended Independence Day celebrations.
On Sunday the mayors of the municipalities of Ahome, Choix, Salvador Alvarado, Angostura, Mocorito, Cósala, Culiacán, San Ignacio, Elota, Concordia, Escuinapa, in Sinaloa, joined in the suspension of the patriotic celebrations.
The violence and insecurity also caused the cancellation of the celebrations in 12 municipalities of Chiapas, six in Nuevo León, and at least one municipality in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Guanajuato. EFE
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