The Plaza de la Constitución in the second half of the 20th century

In 1958, the Federal District's Regent, Ernesto P. Uruchurtu, oversaw drastic changes to the Zócalo and adjacencies: the Zócalo's surface was leveled, streetcar lines were removed, and public transportation to the site was again increased. Buildings on the Plaza's west side were remodeled and their façades modified to unify the plaza's appearance. Days after completion in 1958, students protesting public transportation fare hikes occupied the plaza. In 1968, shortly before Mexico hosted the Summer Olympics, another student-led strike was violently cleared away to guarantee that the Olympic Marathon would start at the Zócalo. Concurrently, to prepare for the Olympics and World Cup (1970), Mexico City built its first subway lines to and from the Zócalo, and in the process, unearthed major Mexica ruins, which would become part of the INAH's collection. In 1979, as part of spatially symbolic act, Pope John Paul II visited Mexico City, prioritizing a public appearance at the Zócalo. Finally, in a preview of the coming spatial political culture, the Plaza hosted the 1982 Partido Socialista Unificado de México (PSUM) presidential campaign close, signaling increased State political openness.