By W.T. Whitney, COUNTERPUNCH
The independence of Mexico and of Cuba, got a big hearing in Mexico City on September 16. On that day in 1810, in Dolores, Mexico, Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo called upon parishioners to join him in rebelling against Spain’s viceregal government. Mexico finally gained independence in 1821. Every year, at 11 PM on September 15, and on September 16, Mexicans and their presidents pay homage to Hidalgo’s iconic Cry of Dolores (Grito de Dolores).
This year, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, commemorating that important day, had a surprising guest. Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel was at his side and they both spoke. Shared goals and strong friendship were evident. The extraordinary encounter may portend new substance and heightened commitment for efforts to free Cuba, at long last, from aggressive U.S. interference with Cuba’s sovereignty.
The Cuban president later joined president López Obrador in reviewing Mexican armed forces assembled in the Zocalo, Mexico City’s central plaza. No visiting foreign president had ever done so.
Excerpts of their remarks appear below. What they actually said may more readily communicate concepts, reasoning, convictions, and deep feelings than would have been the case with summarization. The object here is to enhance appreciation of the nature and strength of the two nations’ friendship now and into the future.

Recent Posts
The Corporate War On Free Speech, A Zero Hour Conversation With Jeff Cohen
October 8, 2025
Take Action Now Jeff Cohen discusses the way right-wing moguls from Larry Ellison to Mark Zuckerberg are reshaping both traditional and social media,…
Are You Being Lied To? Is Portland “War-Ravaged”?
October 8, 2025
Take Action Now At one point, Trump himself questioned what was going on, asking, “Am I watching things on television that are different from what’s…
Wake Up, America: Democracy Is Disappearing Before Our Eyes
October 7, 2025
Take Action Now America’s democracy is under threat from a velvet-glove authoritarianism. Citizens must act now—beyond the ballot box—to defend…
Palestine Solidarity Protests Continue To Grow Across Europe
October 7, 2025
Take Action Now Record crowds again filled streets across Europe, demanding an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and freedom for the Global Sumud…