Until two years ago, Red mailboxes From the Mexican postal service they continued, in theory, offering service. However its deterioration and little maintenance was already visible. The cause of this: People no longer wrote or received letters. That was why It was decided to do without them. With this decision, an entire era ended in our country. Now the few survive They remain as the vestiges of history and our own memory. It is inevitable not to feel nostalgia.
Mexican postal service: A centuries
If there is an institution that has crossed almost all our national history, that is the Mexican postal service (Sepomex). Also known as the Post Office of Mexico, this is the oldest postal service in Mexico. Thanks to a decree of King Felipe II of Spain, Viceroy Martín Enriquez de Almansa founded him on August 27, 1580.
After independence, The postal service of Mexico continued under the administration of the state of the young nationsituation that was endorsed with the Constitution of 1857. A year before it had been adopted The frank and stamps use systembeing the first in our country A portrait of Miguel Hidalgo.
After the Porfiriato and the Mexican Revolution, the institution They continued renewing and improving their standards. Already for the year 1986the agency acquired autonomy and modernized. In this way he achieved the denomination of Mexican postal service. Finally, In 2008 she was renowned with her title of yesteryear, Correos de México.
The Red Setomex mailboxes
Throughout its long history, Postcores from Mexico has had a huge number of mailbox models. From tin to plastics and synthetic polymers, They all served in their purpose to communicate to people through the letters.
However, a good part of us grew up with The huge red mailboxes of the Mexican postal service. They were better known as «Express Red Mangers» and they started their work in the country From the 1990s. Its installation was born thanks to A contract that was signed in 1992. The company with which the agreement was held was Stoc S.A. de C.V.which He was responsible for placing them and maintaining them both in the Mexico City as in Other cities of the Republic.
These iconic mailboxes They were designed to offer immediate and comfortable service. Were Easy to locate and used to be placed next to advertising spaces. Their number was elevated since they covered several postal codes, thereby facilitating the movement of users to deposit their respective letters. Many we remember precisely because In elementary school they stopped sending some epistle or also when we request our Children’s program reporter credential Bibierfrom the eleven channel.
The end of the red mailboxes
However, The times have been dizzying. Con The incredible development of the Internet and emails, these platforms soon replaced the letters manually written. From a computer and without leaving home it was already possible to send missives not only to other parts of the country, but of the entire world.
It was so Throughout the almost two and a half decades of the 21st century we have lived, people stopped using traditional mail. With this, Little by little, Sepomex’s red mailboxes began to stop being used. The phenomenon became so pressing that, For 2017, the stock company stopped maintaining them. In it 2022 There was no budget assigned for this furniture by the Post Office of Mexico.
Thus, finally, In 2023 it was decided to definitely dispense with these mailboxes. For that moment, There was a record of 55 mailboxes in Mexico City. However, All of them were in bad conditionsabused and out of any possibility of operation. With this, An entire era of communications and culture concluded in our countrygiving way to new dynamics in postulate writing and how we connect with others.
Aldo Vicencio Poet and essayist. Training historian. Mexico is its mysteries.
