What famous victory message did Ignacio Zaragoza send after Mexico won the Battle of Puebla?

After Mexico won the Battle of Puebla, Ignacio Zaragoza famously reported, “Las armas nacionales se han cubierto de gloria,” meaning “The national arms have covered themselves with glory.”

Zaragoza sent the message to President Benito Juárez after Mexican forces defeated the French army on May 5, 1862. The brief statement became one of the best-known quotations associated with Cinco de Mayo and the defense of the Mexican Republic.

The victory did not end the French intervention. France reorganized and returned with a larger force, eventually capturing Puebla and Mexico City in 1863. Even so, Zaragoza’s message captured the symbolic importance of the Mexican victory.

The phrase is sometimes loosely translated as “The national arms have been covered with glory.” In this context, “arms” refers to the nation’s military forces, not weapons alone.