Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum led the country’s traditional Independence Day celebration Tuesday night from the capital’s main square, delivering a defiant defense of national sovereignty amid ongoing violence in several regions, particularly the northwestern state of Sinaloa.
Addressing tens of thousands gathered in Mexico City’s Zócalo plaza from a balcony of the National Palace, Sheinbaum honored the heroes and heroines of the independence movement — including Indigenous people, Afro-Mexicans, and migrants — before ringing the historic bell to mark the 216th anniversary of the 1810 call to arms that began Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain.
“¡Viva la dignidad del pueblo de México! ¡Viva la libertad! ¡Viva la igualdad! ¡Viva la justicia! ¡Viva la democracia¡ ¡Viva México libre, independiente y soberano!”
The crowd echoed each cheer as cathedral bells pealed and attendees sang the national anthem. The annual “Grito de Independencia” ceremony, which dates back to the early 19th century and incorporated the bell-ringing tradition in 1880, typically includes fireworks, concerts, military parades, and family gatherings featuring traditional dishes such as pozole and chiles en nogada.
Sinaloa Resumes Celebrations Under Heavy Security
After two years of canceled patriotic festivities, the Sinaloa state government proceeded with Tuesday’s celebration in Culiacán, the state capital, despite a surge of cartel violence that has gripped the region since 2024. The decision coincided with the deployment of more than 1,800 additional soldiers and police officers to the resort city of Mazatlán, ordered by Sheinbaum’s federal government to bolster security in a state where approximately 70 people have been killed in the past two weeks alone. Total federal and state security forces in Sinaloa now approach 20,000.
The ceremony in Culiacán was presided over by interim Governor Graciela Domínguez Nava, who assumed office last month after incumbent Rubén Rocha Moya took indefinite leave to face a U.S. narcotics investigation.
Cartel Infighting Drives Violence
The current wave of violence erupted in September 2024 following an internal power struggle between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel: “Los Chapitos,” led by the sons of convicted former kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and loyalists of longtime leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
The conflict traces to the July 2024 arrest of Zambada, who accused Joaquín Guzmán López — a son of “El Chapo” — of kidnapping him and flying him to Texas to surrender to U.S. authorities. Both men remain in U.S. custody.
Elsewhere in Mexico, authorities in several municipalities across Chihuahua, Oaxaca, and Nuevo León suspended mass Independence Day events due to security concerns.
