Friday

Since we are planning to go to the Grito celebration tonight on Monterrey's Macroplaza, I thought I'd make my update early today. Mexican news will be pretty interesting over the next two days. The Independence Day festivities kick off late this evening, and continue throughout tomorrow. The opposition protest in México City's Zócalo and along its largest avenue seems to be packing-up permanently,* prompted, no doubt, by weakening enthusiasm since last week when Calderón was certified president-elect, and also by the large military parade that is planned in the very same areas on Saturday. Nonetheless, present Vicente Fox has decided to move the national observance of this holiday to its original location in Dolores Hidalgo, citing concerns over "leftist plots" to cause chaos during the emotional event.* While these two facts do not seem to support one another, it is true that it's harder to call off a massive protest than to maintain one, and the leadership here seems to be getting out of dodge. Up until now, these political dissenters have been centrally located and easily identifiable: all peacefully together, desperately holding onto the city center. Who knows what might have happened tonight between the feds and an army of frustrated protestors without the guiding civil non-violence of AMLO's leadership? I assume that the mayor of the Federal District will still hold a Grito celebration in the Zócalo, but he is PRD, and has been a tacit supporter to the opposition all along. In the west, Lane has indeed become a hurricane,* and threatens flooding and other damage along México's northwest Pacific coast, though Cabo is off the list of targets. I suppose there will be many parties rained out in Mexico today and tomorrow. There's still more recent interesting news from México: archeological, political, and ironic. [Cavin]