November 20th marks the 114th year since the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. The day has become a major symbol of acurrent bloodless revolution designed to transform the country into a state without marginalized citizens.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the populist President of Mexico until October 1st of this year, did a lot in his 6-year term to reform the legislative and executive branches of the government, build safety nets in the areas of health, education and old-age pensions and realign Mexican identity. By far, initiatives given the most visibility were the infrastructure projects in the Yucatan Peninsula and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec that has been mentioned as a potential alternative to the Panama Canal.
There was great fanfare added to the culmination of a railroad project called “El Tren Maya.” This railroad initiative is designed to touch all of the major ancient Maya sites in the peninsula and southern Mexico.
Added to the program is the construction of new airports like the international airport of Tulum that promise to increase tourism even more in the region. Travelers now will be able to land at this and other airports along the Maya Riviera and not just enjoy the beaches but also travel by an upscale rail system to all of the rich cultural sites of the region.
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term is expected to take on infrastructure projects in the north. Along with building new universities and hospitals accessible to the rural poor there are two major railroad systems planned.
She is prioritizing the need for fast passenger trains that can be an effective alternative to flying and driving. One route will take passengers across various states to Nuevo Laredo and the other along the Sea of Cortes to the Arizona border.
The emphasis on the north is a pointed reminder that this part of the country has been the center of historical change. The region also represents what can be called the cradle of the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
When President Porfirio Diaz, the dictator of Mexico for over 30 years, went back on his word not to stand for election in 1910, Francisco Ignacio Madero Gonzalez, the first democratically elected President during the Revolution, gave President Diaz until November 20th to change his position or face armed conflict. When Diaz refused, Madero rose against him from the northern State of Coahuila.
This is how and why November 20, 1910 became the official date of the Mexican Revolution. It was a bloody affair that took some 2.7 million lives including civilians during almost a decade of war.
As chaotic as the Revolution was, it aspired to reestablish the democratic foundations of a free people. The Constitution of 1917 that, in a sense, helped to end the chaos of war, emulated and improved on the great Benito Juarez Constitution of 1857 that had created the benchmarks of a democratic state.
Mexico is in its second 6-year government dedicated to a legal, economic and cultural transformation that looks to base its identity on its pre-Colombian heritage and bring the lowest classes into the national mainstream. The motto for the effort is “for the good of all, the poor come first.”
The Mexican Revolution sought to restructure the lives of a people and their institutions. The current effort to get back to those ideals, that resulted from so much sacrifice, is a noble experiment that tests the sustainability of national will.
We in America share many of the same aspirations. They are worth fighting for.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
