In Honour of Pancho Villa, Mexico’s Flag Will be Flown at Half-Mast Every July 20th

ByGeorgina Saldierna and Andrea Becerril

This article by Georgina Saldierna and Andrea Becerril originally appeared in the November 26, 2025 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

With the support of Morena and its allies, the Senate yesterday approved modifying the Law of the National Shield, Flag and Anthem, so that the national flag is flown at half-mast every July 20, the date of the assassination of Francisco Villa.

The report highlights that the path of el Centauro del Norte “to be recognized as a historical figure of great relevance, has not been as fortunate as that of other personalities of the Revolution.”

The only dissenting voice was that of Lilly Téllez, a member of the PAN party who called him “the biggest murderer and rapist of women,” who also massacred children. [Editor’s note: the ultra-right winger and unelected Senator Lilly Téllez was also the subject of a petition signed by hundreds of thousands of Mexicans which seeks to remove her from the Senate for advocating treason when requesting a US invasion of Mexico.]

Senator Simey Olvera, from the Morena party, accused the right wing of distorting history, “using media outlets and putting on a show. This isn’t TV Azteca; here, the majority of the people rule, and here we vote for what is real.”

Photo: Jay Watts

In defense of Villa, he recalled statements by Vicente Lombardo Toledano regarding the fact that the creators of the legend that the revolutionary was a bandit and an evil man were the social forces crushed by the División del Norte: “the landowners, their allies, the political clergy, the social strata of intellectuals in the service of the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz and the Yankees.”

The legislator from Hidalgo added that it is not surprising that to this day the conservatives and their allies continue to distort the figure of Pancho Villa, who represents in the collective memory of the people the struggle of the unprotected.

The reform was approved by 85 votes in favor, eight against and four abstentions.

In presenting the report, Margarita Valdez, also a member of the Morena party, acknowledged that many people dislike the image of the revolutionary, an image that has been distorted by the bourgeoisie in books. “Yes, he stole cows, but it was to feed the poor… and it’s not true that he was an alcoholic,” she pointed out.

He added that “he was a dancer, and women have always liked men who dance. Now and then, a man who dances knows how to win them over.”

The report notes that despite his profound impact on the country’s history, the commemoration of his legacy has faced obstacles and slights. One example is the omission of the official protocol of flying the flag at half-mast on the anniversary of his death, a gesture performed in honor of many other national heroes.