Mexicans revel in first "non-dry" independence

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- Mexico City residents reveled in a tranquil yet festive Independence Day on Friday night, quashing fears that this year's celebrations would be marred by the lifting of a seven-decade-old ban on alcohol.

This week, Mexico City's left-leaning government announced it would suspend the long-time "dry law" for Mexico's most patriotic festival, which marks the start of the nation's war of independence against Spain.

The move prompted concern that the potent cocktail of tequila, fireworks and massive crowds would unleash violence in the Zocalo, or central plaza, and surrounding streets that have long been the center of the celebrations.

But thousands of Mexicans gathered peacefully on Friday night in the Zocalo, once the site of the ancient Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, to make the yearly shouts of revolutionary heroes' names from the nation's 11-year war of independence.

The battle calls invoked the renowned "cry of Dolores," a speech made by Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo on September 15, 1810. The cry, made in the town of Dolores in the central state of Guanajuato, triggered the first rebellions against the Spanish.

"I think that we have passed the test. The people behaved very well," said Rafael Gudino, director of operations of Mexico's Red Cross, in a radio interview on Saturday morning.

Mexico's office of public security said reports from late Friday and early Saturday listed three deaths from car accidents and 19 injured, mostly from fireworks burns.

"It was more or less the same as in other years," said a public security spokesman. "We were expecting a much higher body count."

The dry law has been in place since the attempted assassination of President Pascual Ortiz Rubio, the first of 13 Mexican presidents from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), founded in 1929.

President Ernesto Zedillo, reigning over a sea of synthetic snow and the red, white and green of countless Mexican flags, led the shouts of "Viva Mexico" and "Viva Hidalgo" from his office in the National Palace.

Beyond just shouting the names of Hidalgo and other heroes, Zedillo made a special call for the long life of democracy, a theme of special resonance in the wake of this year's presidential elections.

"Viva nuestra democracia" (Long live our democracy), said Zedillo, just before fireworks soared from Zocalo's Cathedral.

In a July 2 vote, Zedillo's PRI party was handed a startling defeat by Vicente Fox of the center-right National Action Party (PAN), whose victory put an end to 71 years of one-party rule. Fox takes power on December 1.

Beneath the red, white and green lights draping the Zocalo's colonial-era buildings, Tino Huarez said he treks to the center every year to ring in independence with his countrymen.

"We like the cohabitation (of the Zocalo), the fact that we are all together," said the 26-year-old gym employee.

Daniel Pintado, meanwhile, called the festivities Mexico's party of the year. "It's important we remind ourselves that at one time we were oppressed," said Pintado, 24, a chemistry student. "Now we're free."

While some Mexicans noted that the celebration's notorious rowdiness has been tempered in recent years by a formidable police presence, many said the party's tone was little changed by the alcohol ban lift or the impending shift in governments.

Still, there were some subdued signs that this independence comes amid an historic political change. "Long live Fox," shouted one young Mexican on the heels of Zedillo's calls.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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