Voices of Resistance celebrated Mexican independence day on 9/16. We discussed the Bolivarian Revolution that led to the independence of most Latin American countries in the early 1800s against Spain and Portugal, weakened by internal and external forces. Mexico declared independence on 9/16.1810 when Father Migue. Hidalgo issued El Grito de Delores. Shortly after winning independence in 1821, the new government invited settlers to its territory north of the Rio Grande. They arrived from the USA, with their slaves; when Mexico abolished slavery in 1829, these settlers, determined to keep their enslaved people, declared independence in 1836 (you remember the Alamo–a battle to maintain slavery) then joined the USA. When Mexico returned to take back their land, they were defeated and lost not just Texas but most of Arizona, New Mexico and California, completing the deal with the Gadsen Purchase. This not only left Mexican citizens living on this land without a country, a language and rights, but also the removal of indigenous tribes, including the Apache, Navajo, Ute and Comanche.
Armed with the Monroe Doctrine, and then the Organization of American States, the USA began its “ownership” of Mexico and the rest of Latin America, via overt and covert wars and economic exploitation, which continues to today. USA corporations take land and people to for agriculture, industry and mining; devalue the peso and other currencies when these countries fight back, bring cheap labor into the USA to grow our food and fight our wars, offer no paths to citizenship for these laborers, and now hunt them down like animals, put them in cages, and deport them with minimal judicial oversight. Mexico is now taking the lead via organizations such as CELAC (Community of Latin American & Caribbean States) and ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance), where membership and participation by the USA is not permitted, Yet the exploitation goes on. In the past few years, USA covert interference has brought USA puppet presidents to power in countries like Honduras, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. La lucha continua. Viva Mexico.
- 12:00pm Finding Happiness Episode 42 by Robert Pawlicki on Finding Happiness
