Latest news with #MexicanArmy
Epoch Times
11-06-2025
- Epoch Times
Mexican Cartels Are Recruiting Former Colombian Soldiers: Mexican Security Chief
The head of Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar García Harfuch, said a pattern of organized crime to recruit former Colombian military personnel has been detected in Mexico. Harfuch said on June 10 that on May 29, Mexican Army personnel detained 17 people in the municipality of Los Reyes, Michoacán. Five were Mexicans and 12 were Colombian nationals—nine former soldiers and three civilians with military training in the use of weapons.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
History of Cinco de Mayo and what to know before the celebration
( — Cinco de Mayo is a popular Mexican holiday, with celebrations throughout the United States and Mexico. Video Above: 5 things to know about Cinco de Mayo Often confused for Mexican Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo instead marks the 1862 victory of the Mexican Army over the French Army. As many grab their sombreros and prepare to take shots of tequila, it is important to take a moment and learn about the significance of Cinco de Mayo and what it means before the celebrations commence. Then-newly elected Mexican President and member of the Zapotec tribe, Benito Juarez, was forced to default on debt payments to European governments due to financial ruin in 1861, according to Naval forces from France, Britain and Spain were sent to Veracruz, Mexico. While Mexico was able to negotiate with Spain and Britain, resulting in the withdrawal of their forces, France grasped the opportunity to take Mexican territory. While France sent out 6,000 French troops to attack Puebla de Los Angeles in Mexico, Jaurez was able to gather around 2,000 men to defend the territory, sources said. Nearly 500 French soldiers died and fewer than 100 Mexican soldiers were killed in the May 5, 1862, battle that lasted from daybreak to early evening. Political pressure from the United States and military support encouraged France to withdraw from Mexico in 1867 after the Civil War. Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, David Hayes-Bautista, published a book in 2012 titled 'El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition,' which illustrates the history of the Mexican holiday. During a conversation with FOX40, Hayes-Bautista highlighted the connection between the celebration of the holiday and the United States, stating that as Latinos in California watched the fight for rights during the Civil War, they found pride in their community gaining victory over the French. 'So once Latinos heard [of the victory of Cinco de Mayo], they immediately, spontaneously piled out into the streets of California, Nevada and Oregon to celebrate this great victory and let the world know where they stood on the issues of the American Civil War and the French intervention,' said Hayes-Bautista. 'That they opposed slavery, they supported freedom, they opposed white supremacy, they supported racial equality, they opposed elitist plantation rule, they supported government of the people, by the people and for the people.' The professor then said that the holiday has been celebrated in the United States since then. The Jackson County Library Services also states that the holiday was significant for activists who participated in the Chicano Movement in the 1950s and 1970s, as it was found to be a powerful symbol of Mexican resistance and power. One of the most common misconceptions about Cinco de Mayo is that it is the Independence Day for Mexico, according to multiple sources, including Professor Hayes-Bautista. While May 5 represents the victory the Mexican army had over the French Army, September 16 is the true Mexican Independence Day, as many celebrate the nation's freedom from Spanish rule, stated. Meanwhile, Hayes-Bautista highlighted another difference between the two commemorations. '…After California became part of the U.S, the Mexican Consulate ran [Mexican] Independence Day and they do to this day,' Said Hayes-Bautista. 'Cinco de Mayo does not belong to the Mexican Consulate. It has been since the very first, kind of a people's holiday. Nobody owned it. So you can do whatever you want.' Establishing that Cinco de Mayo could be considered a holiday represented by Mexican-Americans and Chicanos throughout the U.S., Hayes-Bautista also mentioned that past celebrations included the combination of the U.S and Mexican military hymns and flags. Celebrations in Mexico are somewhat similar to those in the United States, as many like to attend events including parades, lucha libre matches and eat traditional Mexican dishes, according to Britannica. Some of these events feature mariachi bands, dancers in traditional Mexican clothing and floats decorated with red, white and green, the colors of the Mexican flag. Meanwhile, some specialty meals most commonly eaten are tacos, guacamole, churros and Puebla's well-known dish, mole poblano. According to May 5 in Mexico is not considered a federal holiday; therefore, offices, banks and stores remain open. As communities throughout the nation celebrate the Mexican holiday, Professor Hayes-Bautista left a reminder for those who plan to participate. 'Unfortunately, over about the past 40 or so years, Cinco de Mayo has devolved into Drinko de Mayo, which is the time to go get drunk,' said Hayes-Bautista. 'I'd like people to remember, okay, we're going to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but remember it has to do about human rights in its very beginning; about freedom versus slavery, equality versus white supremacy. Just remember that and let's go ahead and have a party.' El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition by David Hayes-Bautista can be found on the University of California Press website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Americans might love Cinco de Mayo, but few know what they're celebrating
Many Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but how many actually know the story of the holiday? Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo doesn't mark Mexican Independence, which is celebrated on Sept. 16. Instead, it's meant to commemorate the Battle of Puebla, which was fought between the Mexican and French armies in 1862. In Mexico's long and storied history, the Battle of Puebla is generally considered a fairly minor event. But its legacy lives on a century and a half later, particularly in the United States, USC anthropology professor Kirby Farah writes for The Conversation. After Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, other nations were reluctant to recognize the autonomy of the fledgling country. In the ensuing decades, Mexico lost a large portion of its land to the U.S. and entered into a period of economic and political instability. This was punctuated by a civil war in the late 1850s that resulted in Benito Juárez, Mexico's first indigenous president, taking power in 1861. One of Juarez's first acts was canceling repayments on foreign loans in an attempt to protect Mexico's struggling economy. This angered Britain, Spain and France, and prompted them to send a joint expeditionary force to Mexico. However, Britain and Spain quickly withdrew as it became clear that French ruler Napoleon III was more interested in overthrowing the new Mexican government. The Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862, when the Mexican Army, led by Commander General Ignacio Zaragoza, repelled attacks by the French army on the city of Puebla, located about 70 miles southeast of Mexico City. It was a small but inspirational victory for Mexico, and four days later, on May 9, 1862, Juárez declared Cinco de Mayo a national holiday. Even though the French would eventually defeat the Mexican Army and take control of the country under the short-lived Second Mexican Empire, which lasted from 1864 to 1867, the victory in the Battle of Puebla sent a powerful message to the rest of the world. The Mexican Army was outnumbered two to one by seasoned French troops, so Mexico proved itself to be a formidable opponent worthy of international respect. And the fact that the country was led by an indigenous president held a special symbolic significance. The Battle of Puebla may have also had an inadvertent impact on the United States, which, at the time, was embroiled in its Civil War. Sociologist David Hayes, author of "El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition," has argued that by defeating the French at the Battle of Puebla, Mexicans prevented the French army from continuing northward toward the U.S. border, where they would have likely aided the Confederacy. So it's possible that Mexico's victory at the Battle of Puebla changed the course of American history. The Battle of Puebla was reportedly celebrated in the state of California, which still had strong ties to Mexico; aligned with the Union, the state's citizens viewed the victory as a defense of freedom. For almost a century, few in the United States celebrated Cinco de Mayo. But it reemerged as an important holiday in California in the mid-20th century, sparked by the growing Chicano movement. The David versus Goliath story fittingly mirrored the struggle for civil rights. The widespread commercialization of Cinco de Mayo occurred during the 1980s and 1990s. Beer companies, in particular, targeted Mexican Americans, exhorting them to celebrate their heritage with Coronas, Bud Lights and Dos Equis. Commodification of Mexican and Mexican American heritage soon followed, and today's revelers purchase piñatas, Mexican flag paraphernalia, sombreros and costumes that can veer towards the offensive. While more and more Americans – regardless of their ethnic heritage – take part in the festivities, few know what Cinco de Mayo commemorates. One survey found that only 10% of Americans could describe the holiday's origins. The complicated legacy of Cinco de Mayo serves as a reminder that the past is made meaningful in different ways by different people. For Mexicans – especially those living outside of the modern city of Puebla – the holiday is of minor significance, dwarfed in comparison to much more important national and religious holidays, like Mexican Independence Day and Day of the Dead. However, reenactments of the Battle of Puebla still take place in modern Puebla as well as in Mexico City's Peñon de los Baños neighborhood. For many Mexican Americans, the day holds a special significance as an opportunity to celebrate their shared heritage. But given the creeping commercialization of the holiday, some Mexican Americans have expressed ambivalence about celebrating it. And for Americans without Mexican ancestry, the holiday seems to simply serve as an excuse to drink margaritas. This story was produced by The Conversation and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Today in History: April 21, Prince dead at age 57
Today is Monday, April 21, the 111th day of 2025. There are 254 days left in the year. Today in history: On April 21, 2016, Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis from an accidental fentanyl overdose; he was 57. Also on this date: In 1836, an army of Texans, led by Sam Houston, defeated the Mexican Army, led by Antonio López de Santa Anna, in the Battle of San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution. In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74. In 1918, German Air Force pilot Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed 'The Red Baron,' was killed at age 25 after being shot during a World War I air battle over Vaux-sur-Somme, France. In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 322 inmates in the deadliest prison disaster in U.S. history. In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned after nearly 10 years in office, fleeing the country five days later. In 1980, Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, but was later exposed as having cheated by entering the racecourse less than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) before the finish line. (Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was named the actual winner of the women's race.) In 2015, an Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to 20 years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. (Morsi collapsed and died during trial on espionage charges in June 2019.) Today's Birthdays: Actor-comedian-filmmaker Elaine May is 93. Author-activist Sister Helen Prejean is 86. Singer Iggy Pop is 78. Actor Patti LuPone is 76. Actor Tony Danza is 74. Actor Andie MacDowell is 67. Musician Robert Smith (The Cure) is 66. Actor Rob Riggle is 55. Actor James McAvoy is 46. Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo is 45. Actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw is 42. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Prince found dead
Today is Monday, April 21, the 111th day of 2025. There are 254 days left in the year. Today in history: On April 21, 2016, Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis from an accidental fentanyl overdose; he was 57. Also on this date: In 1836, an army of Texans, led by Sam Houston, defeated the Mexican Army, led by Antonio López de Santa Anna, in the Battle of San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution. In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74. In 1918, German Air Force pilot Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed 'The Red Baron,' was killed at age 25 after being shot during a World War I air battle over Vaux-sur-Somme, France. In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 322 inmates in the deadliest prison disaster in U.S. history. In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned after nearly 10 years in office, fleeing the country five days later. In 1980, Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, but was later exposed as having cheated by entering the racecourse less than 1 mile before the finish line. (Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was named the actual winner of the women's race.) In 2015, an Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to 20 years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. (Morsi collapsed and died during trial on espionage charges in June 2019.) Today's Birthdays: Actor-comedian-filmmaker Elaine May is 93. Author-activist Sister Helen Prejean is 86. Singer Iggy Pop is 78. Actor Patti LuPone is 76. Actor Tony Danza is 74. Actor Andie MacDowell is 67. Musician Robert Smith (The Cure) is 66. Actor Rob Riggle is 55. Actor James McAvoy is 46. Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo is 45. Actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw is 42.
