Mexico is commemorating the 700th anniversary of the founding of México-Tenochtitlan with a series of public events including art installations, urban routes, performances, and dances organized by federal and local authorities. The festivities, centered on the Zócalo near the Templo Mayor site, feature large-scale reproductions of Mexica artifacts such as the Aztec Calendar Stone and the Coatlicue statue, along with a video-mapping projection titled "Memoria Luminosa" that narrates the city's history. The celebration follows a similar event in 2021 led by then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which drew criticism for historical inaccuracies and political manipulation.
This year's commemoration matters because it underscores a broader ideological shift under recent Mexican administrations, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, toward emphasizing the country's Indigenous roots over its colonial past. The event has sparked debate among historians about the politicization of history, with some arguing that the celebrations manipulate historical narratives for nationalist purposes. Additionally, the festivities highlight ongoing tensions around cultural restitution, Indigenous rights, and the symbolic valorization of living Indigenous groups, as seen in the reinauguration of ethnographic galleries at the National Museum of Anthropology and the creation of a new cultural ministry unit focused on living cultures.