Mexico Subdued on 200th Birthday

At midnight, Mexico marked 200 years since the start of the rebellion that won it independence from Spain, but much of the country isn't in the mood for a fiesta. The war between the government and drug cartels has claimed 28,000 lives since 2006, and public festivities have been scaled down or canceled in many places. The Mexican Revolution against the country's oligarchy kicked off in the country's centennial year, analysts note, and Mexico may now be headed for another shake-up that will strengthen the rule of law.

"The country is preoccupied with the dramatic rise in violence,” a Latin America expert tells the Globe and Mail. “I think as a whole, Mexican society is asking a lot of questions. They are concerned about security, and are asking what there is for the Mexican society in the future. Some people are not feeling very optimistic, but for others this is a time of renewal." For more about Mexico's drug war, click here.
(More Mexican drug war stories.)