Sheinbaum Rings in Independence Day with Call for Indigenous and Migrant Recognition
President Claudia Sheinbaum led Mexico's Independence Day Grito, honouring Indigenous, Afro-Mexican and migrant communities before a crowd of over 100,000 in Mexico City.
Mexico kicked off its Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday night with the traditional Grito de Independencia, as President Claudia Sheinbaum rang the historic bell from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City.
More than 100,000 people filled the Zocalo, the capital's main square, ahead of the ceremony. Many in the crowd wore sombreros, sarapes and the green, white and red colours of the national flag.
In her traditional calls, Sheinbaum honoured figures from Mexico's independence movement alongside Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities and Mexican migrants. "Long live Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples! Long live our migrant sisters and brothers!" she declared, before adding, "Long live a free, independent and sovereign Mexico!"
It was Sheinbaum's second Grito since taking office. The ceremony marked the 216th anniversary of the start of Mexico's independence movement, commemorating the 1810 call to arms by Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla that launched the war for independence from Spain.
The evening's programme featured performances by military mariachis and the regional Mexican group Intocable, which played before the ceremony and returned afterwards to close the celebration. Fireworks lit up the square as families gathered to mark the occasion.
Among those celebrating was Ruben Figueroa, visiting from Chicago in the United States. He described the atmosphere as a welcome contrast to his daily life abroad. "It's a very beautiful experience because there in the United States everyone is afraid to go out on the street, and here they are happy because it's your homeland," he said. "You don't have to worry about immigration catching you or deporting you."
Loreto Tapia, a designer, spoke of the resilience of Mexican families. "We fight every day. We are persistent. We feel the protection of always having our family behind us, but also women. We have a great lineage, a great history in each of the Mexican families," she said.
The Grito is held each year on the night of Sept. 15, while Sept. 16 is Mexico's Independence Day. Celebrations continue on Wednesday with the traditional civic-military parade through Mexico City.