On October 2, 1968, what started off as a peaceful student protest later turned into a bloody massacre. On this day, students gathered together in Tlatelolco plaza to peacefully protest against the government. The students were there for a rally but they were surrounded by armed military troops, who opened fire and started the massacre. The Massacre of Tlatelolco will always remain as a part of Mexico’s bloody and dark history.
Prior to the massacre, in July 1968, students began to start a movement after a conflict had occurred between two schools and the government sent in the riot police to “stop” the conflict. (Miller, 5) At the end of the month, students gathered together to protest against police brutality, which ended by the students being attacked by the troops. The military troops were known for their violent and ruthless tactics. Despite the conflicts with the military troops, the students continued to protest against the government. With the Summer Olympics approaching, the government preferred to pay for the luxuries that come with hosting the event rather than paying for homes, food, and the health of the citizens in the society. This showed where the government’s priorities were at and it also showed that government was corrupted.
On October 2nd, students gathered around Plaza de las Tres Culturas to hear speeches that were being given from other protestors. They were expressing their support for the imprisoned rail union leaders and their demands for a true and real democracy. (Carpenter, 477) Around 6 p.m., flares were being set off as a signal for the military to start shooting. Ernesto Morales Soto, a soldier who was present during the massacre, states that his troops were in charge of making sure that no one left or entered the plaza while the massacre was happening. (Poniatowska, 140-141) People were running from one side to the other trying to escape but they were trapped like cattle. Not only were participants of the protest were murdered but residents and citizens in the area were injured too, wrong place at the wrong time. The military refused to let the doctors and medics from helping the people who were injured which added on to the number of deaths. After the massacre ended, the survivors of the massacre were arrested and were falsely charged.
Like other protests, the media refused to talk about the massacre. President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz covered up the massacre by lying about how many citizens were actually murdered and by not speaking about the event. Ordaz claimed that the number of deaths was “more than 30 less than 40” (Gutmann, 64) which is extremely inaccurate. Diaz Ordaz lied about the number of casualties to show that the massacre was not as bad as people made it seem. He also claimed that the students had armed protesters planted throughout the building and caused all the violence that occurred. He covered up the massacre as well as the other protests that had previously occurred to show that the Mexican government is a peaceful and democratic.
After the many years that had passed, there had been no definite answer as to who was behind the massacre and how many people were killed. However in 2002, President Vicente Fox ordered an investigation into the massacre. It was later revealed that Gustavo Diaz Ordaz organized for the massacre to happen. (Pensado, 23) Diaz Ordaz wanted to make sure that no one knew the truth about the massacre so he covered it up by creating lies. Despite his efforts to cover it up, citizens began to lose faith in the government and a downward spiral of his reputation. The citizens of Mexico still commemorate this day and all those who have died in the massacre. To this day, people still march in honor of those who died in the massacre. As this day will never be forgotten, as it was the start of the downfall of Diaz Ordaz’s presidency as well as his administration. This event was the start of new era; it caused the citizens to be aware of what the government was truly like.
The Massacre of Tlatelolco will always remain a part of Mexican history. Although the accurate facts of the massacre will remain a mystery, it still made an impact on society. One impact the massacre made was that it inspired writers to write about what happened. “The literature of Tlatelolco revealed that the ideals of the Revolution, so strongly defended by the party in power, had become empty” (Leal, 13), this statement claims that the students had the power prior to the massacre. They felt strongly for what they were fighting for and they did not let the government stop them. After many encounters with the military troops, the students continued to fight, which showed that they were not afraid of the government. But after the massacre, the student movement ended which caused them to lose their power against the government. After a few years, activists started to create movements again but they remained traumatized from the massacre. Another impact is that the government lost its legitimacy and was questioned as to whether or not they can properly govern. (Gutmann, 61) The aftermath of the event taught citizens that the government cannot always be trusted. This event may cause the citizens to wonder what else the government could be covering up. It also shows to what extent the government will go just to remain powerful over the citizens.
Bibliography
Carpenter, Victoria. “Tlatelolco 1968 in Contemporary Mexican Literature Introduction.” Bulletin of Latin American Research 24.4. 2005. 476-80. Print.
Gutmann, Matthew C., The Romance of Democracy: Compliant Defiance in Contemporary Mexico. Berkeley, CA. University of California. 2002. 61-64.
Leal, L. “Tlatelolco, Tlatelolco”. Denver Quarterly. 1979. 14(1): 3–13.
Miller, Francesca. “Women, History, and Creating a New Historical Record.” Latin American Women and the Search for Social Justice. Hanover: U of New England, 1992. 5. Print.
Pensado, Jaime. “Political violence and student culture in Mexico: The consolidation of porrismo during the 1950s and 1960s”. Chicago. The University of Chicago. 2008. 23
Poniatowska, Elena, “A Massacre in Mexico” In Women Writing Resistance, edited by J. Browdy de Hernandez. Cambridge, Mass. South End Press. 2003. 140-1
Zaid, Gabriel. “Escenarios Sobre El Fin De PRI.” Frustraciones De Un Destino: La Democracia En América Latina. By Octavio Paz. San José, Costa Rica: Libro Libre, 1985. 139-63. Print.