008 Cinco de Mayo - One Minute History

Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, but it actually marks a symbolic victory that boosted Mexican resistance against French occupation. The battle occurred after Mexico, under President Benito Juarez, suspended foreign debt payments, prompting France to attempt to establish an empire in Mexico. Despite being outnumbered, the Mexican army, led by Ignacio Zaragoza, successfully repelled the French. Today, Cinco de Mayo is more widely celebrated in the United States than in Mexico.

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