Oaxaca - Independence day 2007 - a sign?

INDEPENDENCE DAY NIGHT IN OAXACA, 2007

The evening and night of September 15, 2007, marked a return to normalcy for Oaxaca and its citizenry. Many will recall that there were no festivities, there was no grito, and in fact there was nothing to celebrate the same time last year. This year, last night, was a sight to behold, if nothing else than to remind tourists and Oaxacans alike that this is what Oaxaca is all about, how the city has traditionally been portrayed in the tour books and online, and throughout the world community for decades. Throngs packed the zócalo, alameda, and in fact all downtown streets. Bands played, the governor shouted “viva” on cue, and fireworks lit up the sky. Bars were packed with youths. Cafés lining the zócalo could not accommodate those wanting to sit, watch, revel and wait for the marching bands, float, shiny motorcycles and dignitaries marching around the square. Oaxaca, it would seem, will be one of the beneficiaries of the ongoing talks at the federal level regarding transparencia, or public accountability, until now admittedly woefully lacking here and in other states. And so perhaps last night marked but a sign of better times to come for our State. The populace seemed to have sensed something positive in the air, aside from the passage of another year of independence. Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast