Mexico celebrates anniversary in turbulent times

A vibrant “Viva Mexico” resounded across the country on Thursday as President Felipe Calderon marked the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s first step towards independence. But the celebrations did not avoid controversy over government spending, a menacing storm and 19 deaths in suspected gang-related incidents.

Reuters

“The moment of our emancipation has come...the hour of our freedom has sounded,” Calderon said in a solemn address to the nation, reviving the words of priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, considered the father of Mexico, who urged his fellow countrymen to rise up against the Spanish colonial authorities 200 hundred years ago.

Millions joined the nationwide festivities that kicked off late Wednesday, with 60,000 people attending a 30-million-euro spectacle of fireworks, concerts and a pre-Hispanic fire ritual in the capital’s main Zocalo square.

A military parade on Thursday featured troops from 17 countries, including China, France, Spain, Russia and the United States.

There has been mounting criticism against such massive spending, which some argue should have been used to tackle more important issues facing the country, such as widespread corruption and poverty.

A slow economic recovery and devastating flooding, which has left 25 people dead and affected up to one million people this month alone, further increased scrutiny of government spending.

Some 74,000 security forces were deployed across the country, including snipers on Mexico City rooftops, officials said.

In addition, nineteen suspected gang members were killed in clashes with the military near the US border late Wednesday.

Mexico has seen a severe surge in drug-related violence, with some 28,000 dead in the past three and a half years, according to official figures, which Calderon’s heavy military crackdown launched in 2006 failed to contain.

"The atmosphere of insecurity and violence which is closer and closer makes it complicated for many Mexicans to feel proud of the shape of the country at 200 years of independence," said Edgar Adrian Mora, history professor at the Ibero-American University.

In the meantime, tropical storm Karl was approaching major hurricane strength as it neared the Mexican coast, the US National Hurricane Centre reported late Thursday.

In 1821, Mexico finally declared independence after an eleven-year long struggle against Spanish rule.

The celebrations have also been combined with celebrations for the centennial of the 1910-1917 revolution, which overthrew dictator Porfiro Diaz.

With an estimated population of 111 million, Mexico is the world's 11th most populous country, as well as its most populous Spanish-speaking country.

It is the first Latin American member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and is considered an emerging power.

Mexico boasts a long tradition in the arts, renowned cuisine, and culture, and ranks fifth in the world and first in the Americas on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.