Podcast Summary: Todo Concostrina

Episode: Acontece que no es poco | Las cabezas enjauladas de los héroes mexicanos

Date: December 1, 2025 | Host: Nieves Concostrina (SER Podcast)

Overview

This episode, delivered with Nieves Concostrina’s signature sharp wit and storytelling flair, dives into the gruesome practice of the Spanish colonial authorities displaying the decapitated heads of Mexican independence leaders as a form of intimidation. The conversation is timed around Mexico’s presidential inauguration date, formerly December 1st, using this as a springboard to recount the tangled historic journey of these “enshrined” heads—from revolution, to execution, to their final resting places, full of irony and unexpected twists.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Talk About Heads Now?

• The topic connects to December 1st, which, until recently, was the traditional day for Mexican presidential inaugurations—the “toma de protesta.” The change to October 1st happened only last year, following a reform in election laws.
• Concostrina uses this date as a historical pretext to revisit the fates of Mexico’s decapitated independence heroes.

2. The Meaning of ‘Toma de Protesta’

• Unlike other countries, Mexican presidents do not swear an oath nor invoke God when taking office; they “protest” their role.
  • Quote:
    “Cuando un presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos toma posesión, ni jura, ni promete, ni aparece Dios por ninguna parte... el cargo se protesta, ni se jura ni se promete.”
    (Nieves Concostrina, 03:28)
• The term “protestar” originally means to declare or proclaim a purpose, not to complain.
  • Quote:
    “La primera definición de protestar que aparece en el diccionario es declarar o proclamar un propósito...”
    (Nieves Concostrina, 05:19)
• This secular tradition is rooted in the 1857 Constitution and the important separation of Church and State in Mexico (Leyes de Reforma).

3. Heads on Display: The Mexican Independence Leaders

• The Spanish executed and decapitated the main independence leaders:
  • Miguel Hidalgo (initiator of the revolution)
  • Ignacio Allende
  • Juan Aldama
  • Mariano Jiménez
• Grisly Display: Their bodies were buried but their heads preserved in salt and displayed in iron cages around the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato for 10 years as a warning.
  • Quote:
    “El paso siguiente fue decapitar los cuatro, enterrar los cuerpos y exponer las cabezas guardadas en jaulas. ¿Es bonito o no es bonito esto?... las cabezas viajaron para que potenciales revoltosos supieran lo que les esperaba si protestaban.”
    (Nieves Concostrina, 06:19 & 07:32)
• Each head had a bronze plaque labeling them as notorious criminals responsible for "saquearon y robaron los bienes del culto de Dios... Viva España."
  • Quote:
    “…insignes facinerosos y primeros caudillos de la Revolución... saquearon y robaron los bienes del culto de Dios y del real erario, fueron causa de todos los desastres... Viva España.”
    (Nieves Concostrina, 08:59)

4. After Independence: What Became of the Heads?

• After independence in 1821, the heads were finally taken down, briefly buried, then honored as relics.
• In 1823, Miguel Hidalgo was named “Padre de la Patria,” and the remains of these heroes, including other key figures like José María Morelos and Mariano Matamoros (both priests as well), were entombed first at Mexico City's Cathedral.
• The debate rose about why civil heroes were placed in religious settings, leading to later plans for a proper monument.

5. From the Unfinished Monument to the Ángel

• President Antonio López de Santa Anna in 1843 ordered construction of a dedicated monument for the independence heroes across from the Cathedral in Mexico City. Only the base (“zócalo”) was completed. The enormous Plaza de la Constitución became better known as "El Zócalo" because of this unfinished monument.

  • Quote:
    “Así que el que no lo supiera, ya lo sabe. La inmensa Plaza de la Constitución... todo el mundo la conoce como la Plaza del Zócalo...”
    (Nieves Concostrina, 11:17)

• Eventually, the remains were moved in 1925 to the "Columna de la Independencia," now a Mexico City landmark better known simply as "El Ángel."

  • Quote:
    “En 1925 trasladaron allí a los héroes. Un batiburrillo. Me hace ahora 100 años que fue el traslado.”
    (Nieves Concostrina, 11:49)

6. Modern Forensics and Some Surprises

• In 2010, as part of bicentennial celebrations, authorities exhumed and “organized” the heroes’ remains using modern forensics.
• The heads were still distinct: each marked with initials for identification (e.g., H for Hidalgo, A for Aldama, X for Jiménez, AE for Allende).
  • Quote:
    "Sí, sí, las cabezas estaban... ponía la H de Hidalgo, la A de Aldama, la X... de Mariano Jiménez y otro cráneo tiene las siglas AE de Allende."
    (Nieves Concostrina, 12:48)
• Amidst the "admirable y fraternal confusión," some bones attributed to national heroes were not what they seemed—Matamoros’ bones belonged to a woman, and another “procer” was found to have the bones of a deer.
  • Quote:
    “De entrada, los huesos atribuidos al admirado héroe Mariano Matamoros han resultado ser de una chica...Lo malo es que los de otro proces de la patria han resultado ser de un venado, que esto ya es peor.”
    (Nieves Concostrina, 13:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the meaning of “protestar”:
  “Protestar es sinónimo de prometer.” (03:28)
• On the Spanish display of heads:
  “Cada vez que fusilaban a un revolucionario durante el proceso de independencia... lo primero que hacían era decapitarlos.” (06:10)
• Irony on monuments:
  “Las autoridades se empeñan en poner nombres a las cosas y luego la gente va a su bola.” (11:49)
• Forensic absurdities:
  “…algún susto ya sabían ellos que se iban a llevar.” (11:49)
• On the confusion of remains:
  “El resto de los huesos… están colocados en la más admirable y fraternal confusión.” (12:48)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:29–01:15 – Introduction; why present atrocities counterbalance seasonal “joy”
• 01:15–02:39 – Mexican presidential inauguration date and context for the episode
• 03:28–05:19 – Meaning and history of "protestar" in Mexican tradition
• 06:10–08:59 – The fate of Miguel Hidalgo and fellow independence heads
• 09:05–10:00 – Removal of heads and commemoration after independence
• 10:03–11:17 – Santa Anna’s unrealized monument and the story behind "El Zócalo"
• 11:49–12:46 – Relocation of remains to "El Ángel"
• 12:48–13:23 – Modern forensics: misplaced, mismatched remains
• 13:23–End – Reflections on symbolism, closing banter

Summary

Through a mix of historical detail and biting humor, Nieves Concostrina lays bare both the brutality and the peculiar legacy of colonial and post-independence Mexico. The journey of the “cabezas enjauladas” encapsulates cycles of violence, symbolism, and the eternal confusion of history—sometimes literally, as proven by Mexico’s century-old patriotic bones. The episode not only unpacks a sensational story, but also raises questions about the meaning of national memory, ritual, and the curious fate of heroes' remains.