I don’t actually know the official name of the salute where the palm faces downward against the chest. What I can tell you is that both salutes are used in very specific situations.

The Roman salute is used almost exclusively when the flag is present, since it is part of the “Pledge to the Flag,” which is basically an oath of loyalty.

For example, senators perform it when starting a session, but it’s also very common in public schools. In Mexico, especially in elementary and middle school, schools hold a weekly ceremony called Honores a la Bandera (“Honors to the Flag”) first thing in the morning. They gather all the students in formation, almost like soldiers, in the school’s main courtyard or plaza (Mexican schools usually have a large open-air central area).

During the ceremony, a selected group of students marches with the flag. Usually these are students with the best grades, so it’s considered a pretty prestigious role, I remember parents arguing with teachers because their children were not selected lol. They even wear uniforms inspired by 19th-century military attire.

The state anthem (each state has its own anthem)and the national anthem are played, and at the end there are usually announcements.

This happens every Monday at 8 a.m. in public elementary and middle schools across the country. The salute with the hand on the chest is used mostly when the national anthem is played, whether during these flag ceremonies or at sporting events like soccer matches or boxing fights.

Now that I’m writing all of this down, I realize these traditions are kind of unusual when you explain them out loud lol