The flag of the former republic of Yucatán was officially hoisted for the first time in Mérida since 1841.
Flying the flag recently became legal after an amendment to Article 116 of Mexico’s constitution passed in the federal legislature.
The Republic of Yucatán was a sovereign state during two periods of the nineteenth century in the Yucatán Peninsula.
Today’s flag dates to the second republic, which lasted from 1841 to 1848, after which the region rejoined Mexico.
The flag of Yucatán can often be seen in restaurants and private homes, but it had been illegal to fly in an official capacity until today, Aug. 21, 2023.
In what was a major betrayal by the federal government, after annexation, Yucatán was officially divided into three. That is why today, the Peninsula comprises Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo.
The five stars on the flag represent what was then the five most important cities in the state: Mérida, Izamal, Valladolid, Tekax, and San Francisco de Campeche.
For the past couple of decades, the flag has been seen on Yucatán’s sports team jerseys as well as hats and other merchandise.
But the flag had largely been forgotten until the 1990s when Gov. Victor Cervera Pacheco reintroduced it to public life in an effort to ward off federal persecution by appealing to Yucatecan nationalism.
The massive flag is located next to the Galerías shopping mall on the road connecting Mérida to the port city of Progreso.
