Mexico Prepares to Celebrate Its Bicentenary
On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla freed the prisoners in the town of Dolores who had been locked up by the Spanish authorities and called on the people to rebel by ringing the church bells. Although he was later captured and shot for his insurrection, his actions sparked an independence movement that would last for 11 years until, on September 28, 1821, Mexico’s first independent government was named, headed by Colonel Agustin Iturbide. Mexico’s road to independence from its European masters and its fortunes as an independent nation have been a colorful and tumultuous journey; a quick browse through Mexico’s history will give you an insight into the country’s growing pains. On the eve of September 16^th 2010, Mexico will mark the bicentenary of the movement that led to it becoming an independent nation-state. Although Mexico City will be the prime center of media attention, the entire country will be abuzz with special parties, festivals and celebrations this year. Notwithstanding its turbulent past, today Mexico is on the fringe of becoming a key player in a globalized world. Mexico is an oil-rich state with impressive domestic infrastructures which are improving every year; it has matured politically with a democratically-elected bicameral legislative body; it has impressive plans and aspirations for social and welfare programs to alleviate poverty and decrease its reliance on petro-dollars. Further, its territory shares a c.2,000 mile land border with the world’s most prosperous and most influential nation of the age; and the country has been ranked by economic researchers as being among the top 15 most important emerging economies of the 21^st Century. As Mexicans and expatriates gather in plazas across the country to celebrate Mexico’s bicentenary, they will do so at a point in history when, despite its current challenges, Mexico’s macro prospects and future panorama look more promising than ever.