Unveiling of Monument in Honor of Catarino Erasmo Garza Rodríguez

On Monday, September 23, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will unveil a monument in honor of the Tamaulipas general Catarino Erasmo Garza Rodríguez, who was murdered over a century ago in Panama. The event will take place in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, where Garza’s remains are also laid to rest.

In a video message, López Obrador, accompanied by his wife, Dr. Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, shared the “good news” of the discovery and repatriation of Garza’s remains from Bocas del Toro, Panama.

López Obrador described Garza as a “revolutionary and international fighter, like many heroes and heroines who remain anonymous, although they have been the builders of the Mexico of freedom, justice, and independence that we live by fortune and glory.”

Gutiérrez Müller also paid tribute to Garza, calling him a “great Mexican” and a “patriot.” Together, they read a letter that Garza wrote to his wife Concepción in 1895.

The president also acknowledged the efforts of the Panamanian government and the residents of Bocas del Toro in helping to locate and repatriate Garza’s remains. Experts from the Prosecutor’s Office in Mexico confirmed that the remains were indeed those of Garza.

López Obrador has written a book about Garza’s life and legacy, and the National Search Commission invested around 560 thousand pesos in the search and recovery efforts.

At the request of President López Obrador, the Senate approved the participation of sailors in the search for Garza’s remains on Bocas del Toro Island in February. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) confirmed the identity of the remains in July.