Latin America Celebrates its Bicentennials, but What About the next 200 Years?

This year, and especially this week, the Bicentennials took place for Chile, and the Bicentennial for Mexico and the 100 anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina also celebrated their Bicentennials earlier this year, marking not only the freedom from Spanish rule 200 years ago, but also a push by Latin Americans to celebrate despite being keenly aware of their larger internal problems. For many in the region, the push to celebrate being Latin Americans was also a celebration of their new status in the global economy and a hopeful celebration for the future of the region and its people as a whole.

Chileans did not spare any empanadas or futbol chants in the celebration of their nationhood. A strong focus was placed on the trapped miners who were gifted special empanadas that could fit in the drill tubes down to their cave as well as many other national symbols to bring all Chileans even closer to their national heroes during this Bicentennial celebration this past Saturday. The separation from the Spanish Crown, and the current Esperanza held by all Chileans in one of the most moving stories of Chilean pride and Chilean history did nothing else but mixed with the national strength gathered during the Earthquake earlier this year near Chile’s second city of Concepcion to bring tradition and recent pride into Chile’s national and historic dialogue.

While Chile celebrated this past Saturday, the 15th of September and el Grito was heard louder than any other year since the Independence of Mexico from the Spanish Crown and the end of the Mexican Revolution, mathematically falling 200 years and 100 years respectively. Most of the country gathered near the centre of their cities and town to hear their local officials call out the Grito at 11pm, that is the shout of Viva Mexico three times, preceded by “Viva” and naming of national heroes. Fears from many in Mexico from narco-violence limited some celebrations and closed others, especially considering the violence in 2009 in some towns in Northern Mexico, thought to be caused by drug violence and gangs related to it. Despite this, impressive festivities crowned the Zocalo in Mexico City and lit up the night with fireworks and national pride, ending with President Calderon giving his own Grito with flag in hand, and the night ending off with a concern by one of Mexico’s best known singers. All major Mexican cities and towns did the same, with the country bursting in celebration and taking a break from violence and troubles for one night.

In Latin America, it can be said that 200 years of independence have also been 200 years of internal struggle and a strong will to try to improve on national troubles that often do not have any real solution. This year, the Bicentennial for many have focused on recent problems, but also presents Latin America for the first time perhaps in 200 years with a future that looks brighter than it has looked in a long time. With the exception of Mexico’s drug violence, the Latin American economies have not fared as poorly as some might have predicted after the global economic crisis. Countries like Chile, Brazil and even Colombia have made great strides over the last 5-10 years to put their economies at the forefront of international investment and even Mexico, despite its many troubles, has had some positive economic news in the last two economic quarters. Latin America has always had major issues, and will continue to, but perhaps since the first time since independence, the view of the future is not as bittersweet as it has been in recent history.