MEXICO CITY -- For decades, the Mexican president's annual Sept. 1 national address was an extravagant bit of political pageantry. The chief executive would kick off the event by touring the capital's streets in a convertible, waving to adoring crowds under a shower of confetti. Then, he would strut into Congress and speak at length, sometimes for hours, on his administration's achievements of that year. Today, the event remains a prime example of Mexican political theater, but with an important distinction -- with the advent of democracy, the proceedings are now unscripted and occasionally unruly.
Fight Over Calderón Address Shows Struggles of Mexico’s Young Democracy
