Oil Expropriation Day in Mexico

Mexicans remember Oil Expropriation Day (Día de la Expropiación Petrolera) as the day that the country’s oil fields were nationalized on March 18, 1938.

Is Oil Expropriation Day a Public Holiday?

Although Oil Expropriation Day is not a public holiday, businesses and schools may be closed because it falls on the same date as Benito Juárez's Birthday Memorial in 2019.

Celebrate Oil Expropriation Day

Some Mexicans in the oil and gas industry celebrate Oil Expropriation Day with events to honor the sovereignty and national ownership of oil resources.

Public Life

Oil Expropriation Day is a national observance in Mexico.

About Oil Expropriation Day

With oil being one of Mexico’s important resources, Mexican president Lázaro Cárdenas nationalized all oil reserves, facilities and oil companies on March 18, 1938. This was done in the best interest of Mexicans. Mexican state-owned petroleum company Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) was established shortly after.