For the first time in 215 years of Mexican history, a woman led the national cry of independence late Monday night, echoing the original call made by a priest for rebellion against Spanish rule.
It was a deeply symbolic moment for Mexico and for President Claudia Sheinbaum, the first female president in the country’s history, who has remained popular through her first year in office while weathering intense pressure from President Trump over issues like trade and drug cartels. In her appearance, Ms. Sheinbaum underscored the importance of Mexican women and her country’s sovereignty repeatedly.
The call, the Grito de Dolores, or the Cry of Dolores, is traditionally led by Mexico’s president on the eve of Independence Day. The name refers to Dolores, a small town where the priest, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, called for revolt, setting off the war against Spain in 1810.
Ms. Sheinbaum, 63, celebrated the occasion in Mexican history as other presidents have: standing on a balcony in Mexico City’s main square, the Zócalo, before a teeming crowd, ringing the same bell used by Hidalgo centuries ago. But she also marked the moment with her own changes.
On her way to the balcony, in the National Palace, Ms. Sheinbaum and her husband, Jesús María Tarriba, stopped briefly in front of a portrait of Leona Vicario, known as the mother of the Mexican homeland. The government said it was the first time a painting of a woman had been included in the palace’s main gallery.
Wearing a presidential sash made by female military officers, Ms. Sheinbaum then received the Mexican flag from an all-female honor guard.
“Mexican women and men,” Ms. Sheinbaum began her address, before shouting out the names of fallen heroes from Mexico’s war of independence.
She then highlighted women who were not typically included in the cry, including the rebel fighters Gertrudis Bocanegra and María Manuela Molina. She also referred to a Mexican patriot commonly known as Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez as Josefa Ortiz Téllez-Girón, her name before marriage.
Then Ms. Sheinbaum shouted: “Long live the unsung heroines! Long live the heroines and heroes who gave us our homeland! Long live Indigenous women! Long live our migrant sisters and brothers!”
She then emphasized Mexican sovereignty — no surprise at an Independence Day event, but an issue charged with extra meaning this year because of the pressure from Mr. Trump.
The U.S. government has pushed Mexico on a range of issues, including demands to curb migration, to accommodate American interests on trade and, particularly, to combat drug cartels. The Trump administration has declared several Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations and accused major Mexican banks of laundering money. Mr. Trump has also directed the Pentagon to explore military operations against certain cartels.
During her independence cry on Monday, Ms. Sheinbaum shouted out her support for the “dignity of the people of Mexico” and for a “free, independent and sovereign” country.
Mexico faces major challenges beyond U.S. relations — among them a cartel war in one region, persistent corruption and rising housing costs — but Ms. Sheinbaum remains hugely popular, with approval ratings as high as 79 percent this week.
The support for Ms. Sheinbaum and for her party, Morena, was on display on Monday night in the Zócalo. The square bustled with people, energy and music, and attendees cheered loudly when Ms. Sheinbaum appeared. The government said the crowd had numbered 280,000.
One particular group appeared to have come out in droves: women, especially younger ones.
Jacqueline Olvera, 35, of Mexico City, came with her family, including her 6-year-old daughter, Naomi. Ms. Olvera said that she had wanted her daughter to see a woman standing front and center before the country.
“It’s important that she sees what it means to see a woman empowered and able to become president,” Ms. Olvera said. Naomi, wearing a traditional Mexican outfit, agreed with a smile and a thumbs up, calling the night “special.”