The Secretary General of the PAIGH participates in the celebrations of the Bicentennial of the Heroic Military College, Mexico
As part of the celebrations for the bicentennial of Mexico’s Heroic Military College, on August 25, Antonio Campuzano Rosales, Secretary General of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH), participated as a speaker in the Colloquium “Historical Framework During 200 Years of Leadership Training at the Heroic Military College,” which took place from August 22 to 25 at the headquarters in Tlalpan, Mexico City.
Mr. Campuzano Rosales participated in the closing of the colloquium on August 25 with the lecture: “Niños Héroes de Chapultepec, a historical reassessment,” in which he emphatically pointed out that beyond the legends and myths surrounding this passage of national history, historical science is obliged to recount the facts objectively, always backed by verifiable evidence.
The Heroic Military College is a campus of the Military Education System of the Ministry of National Defense, which was founded on October 11, 1823, with the mission of training the leaders who will be part of the Mexican Army’s command structure. This year marks its 200th anniversary of training its officers with the motto: “For the Honor of Mexico.”
During his presentation, attended by generals, commanders, officers, cadets, and trainees, the Secretary General of the PAIGH began by providing the historical background that led to the foreign invasion of Mexico, as well as the historical context in which the country found itself.
He asserted that beyond the myth and legend surrounding this passage in national history, proof of the existence of the Niños Héroes can be found in the files on each of them in the vault of the Historical Archive of the Ministry of National Defense. He therefore pointed out that “a historical event is an important event that occurred in real life and that affects the development of human beings in general.”
He therefore stressed that the guide and beacon that should direct a historian must be the search for truth, which is the only thing to which they have a real commitment, because only what can be proven should be told.
In conclusion, he pointed out that “the social function fulfilled by the Heroic Children of Chapultepec is very significant, and today they are a pillar of Mexican nationalism.”
To thank Maestro Campuzano Rosales for his participation in the event, cadets from the campus presented him with an award on behalf of Major General D.E.M. David Rivera Medina, Director General of Military Education and Rector of the Army and Air Force University, for his brilliant presentation.
With the participation of the Secretary General of the IPGH in this event, this organization contributes to enriching the historical knowledge of the new generations of cadets at the Heroic Military College, offering a version of the Heroic Deed of Chapultepec based on sources and far removed from myths and legends.
The heroic deeds of the Niños Héroes de Chapultepec (Heroic Children of Chapultepec) are one of the chapters in Mexican history that fill Mexicans with the most pride and nationalism, due to the actions of the cadets of the Military College on September 13, 1847, when they defended Chapultepec Castle against an invading army. They represent exemplary behavior for new generations of Mexicans. For this reason, the IPGH congratulates this institution of the Military Education System, where the military values and virtues that have shaped the loyal and unbreakable spirit of Mexican officers for 200 years are instilled.
