| | |  Editorials | September 2008 
Two Presidents, Three Gritos
 Alejandra Gomez - NewspaperTree
go to original
| | Mexico's President Felipe Calderon holds up the national flag as thousands of Mexicans celebrate the 198th anniversary of their independence from Spain, in Mexico City's main square Zocalo September 15, 2008. (Reuters/Felipe Courzo) | | |
In 2006, Mexico had the tightest and most controversial elections in history. As a result, we have "two presidents": the official president Felipe Calderon and the legitimate president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Felipe Calderon of the PAN won the election by a 0.05 percent margin. To this day, thousands of Mexicans believe the elections were a fraud. Lopez Obrador from the PRD was the first one to protest and demand a recount of the votes. He was denied the recount by the TRIFE, the ultimate election authority.
Obrador then created the legendary phrase "voto por voto, casilla por casilla" (vote for vote, poll by poll) this phrase was chanted by the thousands of Mexicans following the irregularities of the election.
Unsatisfied with the outcome, Lopez Obrador proclaimed himself as the legitimate president of Mexico and symbolically took office in a ceremony held the same day as the one by Felipe Calderon.
Since 2006, Obrador has been holding massive meetings with his numerous followers. His main mission is to protect Mexico’s oil resources from being privatized and to attack and criticize whom he calls the illegitimate and fraudulent president Calderon.
The Independence of Mexico has always been celebrated with the "Grito de Independencia" in Mexico and by Hispanics all over the world. The official celebration is headed by the president in turn and held at the heart of Mexico City, in the Zocalo were thousands of people gather to yell "Viva Mexico!" and remember the heroes of our nation.
This year, just like there are two presidents, there were three different "Gritos" at the Zocalo. One by the governor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, who people speculate will be a candidate for president in 2012, the other one by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and the third one by Felipe Calderon.
More than ever Mexican people went out and celebrated at the Zocalo. Some criticized it as a division within Mexicans, others as a unity because most people stayed for the three ceremonies.
The restaurants and hotels near the Zocalo held special celebrations. Since January, VIP attendees at the nearby restaurants reserved their spot for $260 dlls and a six course meal. Outside the plaza and other restaurants, pozole, enchiladas and in some places tequila was sold for less than $3dlls.
People in the United States celebrate 5 de Mayo as the ultimate Mexican holiday. In Mexico, however, it is rarely celebrated. People in Mexico wait for the 15 de Septiembre y 16 de Septiembre.
The Independence of Mexico from Spain was on September 16th, 1810 but on 1885, the president Porfirio Diaz, arbitrarily moved the celebration to the 15th because he wanted it to coincide with his birthday.
To this day, in Mexico, the independence is celebrated on both days.
Besides the independence, Mexicans had another reason to celebrate this year. On July 7, 2008, Mexico's Flag was voted the Most Beautiful Flag in the World in an Internet contest held by the Spanish Newspaper 20 Minutos, with the flags of Peru and Guatemala coming in at second and third places.
The Mexican flag scored 900,286 points. The second place 339,771.
In Juarez, people also celebrated the 120th anniversary of its name which was given to the city on September 15th 1888.
The streets of Mexico were full of green white and red. Street vendors where in every corner selling Mexican flags of all sizes. However, 90 percent of the flags sold in Mexico this year were made in China. |
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us