Mexico marked Independence Day with history in the making as President Claudia Sheinbaum became the first woman in 215 years to lead the nation’s celebrations.
On Monday night, Sheinbaum delivered the traditional “grito” (shout) from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City, ringing the bell that recalls the 1810 call to arms against Spain. The ceremony, performed every Sept. 15, drew massive crowds to the Zócalo square ahead of the official holiday on Sept. 16.
The following day, Sheinbaum presided over the annual military parade, reiterating her stance on sovereignty: “No foreign power makes decisions for us. No interference is possible in our homeland.”
Though she avoided naming a country, her remarks come amid pressure from the Trump administration, which has urged Mexico to intensify its fight against drug cartels and even offered to send U.S. troops. Sheinbaum has rejected foreign intervention, stressing that her government’s cartel crackdowns and extraditions to the U.S. are actions taken in Mexico’s own interest.
Sheinbaum, who took office in October as Mexico’s first female president, has positioned herself as a firm defender of national sovereignty while pledging stronger security measures at home.
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