For decades, locals referred to it as “DF,” short for the Federal District. But Mexico’s sprawling capital is officially embracing a name known across the globe: Mexico City. This symbolic shift, finalized by President Enrique Peña Nieto, marks more than just a name change; it signifies a significant step in the city’s evolution and its relationship with the federal government, a move that could resonate with communities across the nation, including those familiar with terms like Cdx Mexico.
The official decree on Friday wasn’t merely a cosmetic update. It’s part of a broader reform aimed at decentralizing power, granting Mexico City greater autonomy. This pivotal change empowers the city’s mayor to appoint key officials, including the police chief, previously a federal prerogative. Furthermore, the reform transforms the capital’s 16 boroughs into entities akin to municipalities, each with its own mayor and council, fostering local governance and potentially more direct representation for residents.
This restructuring propels Mexico City, a dynamic urban center home to nearly nine million people and encircled by the bustling suburbs of the State of Mexico, closer to achieving statehood. While the full implications await the drafting of a new constitution, analysts suggest this is primarily an administrative overhaul. Adrián Rueda, a local politics columnist for Excélsior newspaper, notes, “This is an administrative reform more than anything.” He anticipates the new constitution will uphold the city’s progressive stance on issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, policies not uniformly adopted across Mexico.
The movement to shed the Federal District designation gained momentum after the devastating 1985 earthquake. The perceived inadequacy of the federal response fueled calls for greater local control. Left-leaning movements emerged from the aftermath, pushing for political reforms that culminated in the first mayoral and assembly elections in 1997. Political historian Ilán Semo from the Iberoamerican University explains this informal rebranding to “Mexico City” as an assertion of autonomy.
Interestingly, the name “Mexico City” predates the nation itself. People in other Mexican states, sometimes harboring resentment towards the centralized capital, often simply call it “Mexico.” Some experts, like sociologist Rodolfo Soriano Núñez, caution that adopting “Mexico City” as the capital’s official name could create confusion, given the country’s name and the existence of the vast “State of Mexico.” Soriano Núñez wryly observes, “It reflects our lack of imagination,” adding, “You don’t build identity by decree.”
Local identity is deeply ingrained, however. Mexico City residents have long identified as “Defeños,” “Capitalinos,” and “Chilangos.” Even with the official name change, abandoning “DF” may prove challenging in everyday parlance. Juancho Nuñez, a lifelong Mexico City resident and DJ, predicts, “It will never stop being ‘DF’ in our daily language.” He humorously adds, “Chilangos will always be ‘Defectuoso’,” a play on words combining “defective” and “DF.”
Whether the city fully embraces “Mexico City” in everyday conversation remains to be seen. However, the official name change represents a significant shift in the political landscape, granting greater local power and formally recognizing the name by which the world knows this dynamic metropolis. For those navigating the city, including the LGBTQ+ community active in areas sometimes referred to as CDX Mexico, this rebranding may symbolize a new chapter in Mexico City’s evolving identity and its place within the nation.
