MariaInesPeniche

LocalActionGlobalChange
Prof.Miller

TlatelolcoMassacre

Itwastheyearof1968inMexicoandallthroughoutthenationstudents
livedwiththestoriesofbraveryandrevolutionhappeningaroundtheworld.
Thebeliefwehadwhenwewereyoungbackthenwasthatwehadthe
capacitytobefreeandtolivealifewithnointerferencefromthePresident,
theChurchandourparentssaysPaulAlvarez,oneofthemembersofthe
studentmovementin1968(Poniatowska).Thestudentsthirstof
independenceandagovernmentwhomwasdesperatetocreateadecent

worldlyimpressionforthecomingOlympicGamesof1968werekeyfactors
thatledtowardstheMassacreinTlatelolco.
ItallbeganJuly22,1968,twodifferenthighschoolsbeganafightovera
footballgame.Thepoliceintervenedinordertostopthefightbuttheywent
toofarandphysicallyabusedmanyofthestudentswhohadnothingtodo
withthefootballfight.Manyparents,teachersandstudentsdidnotagree
withtheactionsbroughtforthbythegovernmentandbegantopeacefully
protestaroundthecity.Thepolicerepressionwasofsuchmagnitudethat
transformedthatjuvenileproblemintooneofthemostseriouspolitical
problemsthatthecountryhaseverlived,AccordingtoHumbertoMasacho,
amemberofthestudentmovementof1968(Poniatowska).Itis
understandableforhimtosaythissincehewasbeingharassedbythepolice
butmaybeifalloftheseproblemsandchaoswouldnothavehappened
aroundthetimetheOlympicsweregoingtobeheldinMexicothingswould
nothaveblownoutofproportion.
Duringthattime,thegovernmentwastryingtohavecompletecontrolover
thewholenationbecausetheyfeltthattheirmainprioritywastobethebest
hosttotheOlympicGamesandhaveanimpeccableimage.Forthe
presidentoftherepublicitwasatimewerehim,hisgovernmentandMexico
weregoingtobeintheglassdisplaycabinetofworldlyattention...hewas
extremelyproudofhiscapacityofadministration,oforganizationandsome
littlestudentsweregoingtoputthatindoubt?
,
HumbertoMasacho,a

memberofthestudentmovementof1968(Discovery).Personally,inaway
thegovernmentsreactionsareunderstandableandtheystillrepeattoday.
WesawsimilarreactionsnotsolongagoinChinawhenitwashostingthe
Olympicsgames.Thegovernmentevenrebuiltandrenovatedpartsofthe
cityweretheyknewtouristweregoingtopassbyandtheymadetheworld
seethattheirgovernmentmeantbusinessandwasdedicatedonkeeping
thingsundercontrol.Obviously,thepeoplewholivedinthatareawere
forcedtorelocateandnoonewasbotheredaboutit.Ibelieve,theMexican
government,speciallythepresident,feltthesameway.Hedidnotcareifhe
wasbeingunjustornot,hecouldjustnothavearevolutiontwoweeks
beforetheinaugurationofthegames.
Asthegovernmentrestrictionsandapprehensionsgrewsodidtheangerof
thestudents.Theprotestturnedintoriotsandthecitybecameasceneryof
violentconfrontationswithcarssetonfireandcompletechaos.The
confrontationsturnedsoviolentthatevenarmytankswereputinthe
streetsandabigamountofsoldierswerebroughtouteverytimetherewas
aprotest.Thus,aswewerebeingapprehended,insteadofstoppingusthey
wouldjustangerusevenmoreandwewouldrebelbackmakingthe
movementgrowevenstronger.Now,itwasntjustthestudents,professors
andparents,themajorityofournationwasonourside,IgnaciaRodriguez,
leaderofthestudentmovementof1968(Poniatowska).PresidentDiaz
Ordazrepresentedtousthemostabsurd,themostnegativeimageofa

presidentialfigure...hewasaveryuglymanwithhugedenturessowe
wouldscreamathimchangohocicon(longsnoutedchimpanzee),racist,
andrepressorallthisinsultstowardshimwereareliefforusbecausewe
wereallfedupwithourpresident
said
HumbertoMasacchio,memberofthe
studentmovementof1968
(Poniatowka).
Allthestudentsreallywantedwas
tohaveachancetospeakwiththepresidentandnegotiatethesituationbut
thepresidentnevergavethemthechangeorevenbotheredtolistento
whatthestudentswereaskingfor,whichwasformorerespecttowards
themandfreedom.Instead,afewmonthsbeforethemassacrethe
presidentgaveaspeechtothenationsayingthathehadseenanddealt
withenough.Wehavebeentoleranttocriticalexcessbuteverythinghas
itslimitsandwecannotallowforthejuridicordertokeepbeingbrokenlike
ithashappenedinfrontofoureyes,PresidentDiazOrdaz(Discovery).This
washislastwarning.
OnOctober2,1968atsixthirtypmduringaverylargemeetingintheplaza
ofTlatelolco,gunshotswerecomingfrombuildingChihuahatowardsthe
students,parents,teachers,childrenandsoldiersintheplaza.Confusion
anddestructionbegan.Itwasahorriblething!Everyonewasrunning
everywhere,peoplewouldfalldeath,peoplewouldtripoverthedeathandI
wasleftthere,belowthatflagpole.Icouldntgetup,mylegswouldbend
andoneofmystudentscameuptomeandtoldmetogetupandleaveorI
wasgoingtogetkilled.MystudentgotinfrontofmeandIsawabulletgo

acrosshishead,Ineverfoundoutwerethebulletcamefrom,allIknowis
thathefelledrightthereinfrontofme.Itwasthemosthorriblemomentof
mylifeuniversityprofessor,FaustoTrejo(Discovery).Itisunbelievablethe
horriblethingspeoplewitnessedthatdayanditmostlikelywillstayintheir
mindsforever.
AsIsawthedocumentary,whenthestudentsandtheteacherswere
describingthehorribleeventstheylived,theygotverysentimentalandit
lookedlikeallofithadjusthappenedthedaybefore.Onethingwasforthe
governmenttokeepthingsundercontrolbutanotherthingistogoasfaras
harmingthepeoplewho,atfirst,supportedyou,andyou,asagovernment,
isyourdutytoprotect.Notonlywerethecitizensattacked,themilitary
betrayeditselfaswell.Abigpartofthemilitarydidnotknowthatitwas
actuallyotherofficialsshootingatthemandnotthestudents...theydidnot
knowwhatwasgoingoneverythingwasoutofcontrol!Themilitarybegan
toshootupward,towardsthebuilding,weretheothersoldiersdisguisedas
civilianswereshooting...astheshootinggotworsesomeofthesoldiers
weretryingtoprotectusandtoldustolaydowninthefloor....those
soldiersthattriedtoprotectusdeserveallmyrespect,andthatdaythey
showedusagestureofhumansolidaritythatIwillneverstopthanking
mentionedHumbertoMasacchio,memberofthestudentmovementof1968
(Poniatowska).

Itiscomfortingtoknowthatnotallofthesoldierswerecorruptandthat
theyweresomehonestandnoblesoldierstryingtodefendinnocentcitizens,
toobadtherewerenotmanyofthemlikethat.
Thenextdayallthecorpsesandpeoplethatwereinjuredaroundthe
corpsesweregatheredandgottenridoffinthecruelestways.Theplazawas
cleanfromallthebloodandthepublicwastoldthatthestudentsbeganto
firesothepoliceandthemilitaryhadtogetinvolved.Thepresidenthimself
gaveaspeechtotheentirenationexplainingwhathadhappened.Fromthe
rooftopofthebuildingChihuahua,theyfiredperverselyagainstthesoldiers
andagainsttheirowncolleagues,dototheirnervousnessatthemomentor
theirlackofabilitywithweapons,thattheyhadobtainedbythemselves,
theywerenotabletocontrolthegunshotsandnotonlydidtheyinjured
soldiersbuttheirowncolleaguesaswell,saidPresidentDiazOrdaz
(Discovery).Thisisanoutrageanditisunbelievablehowcansomeonecan
justgetawaywithsomuch,itjustgoestoshowyouthatwithmoneyand
powerpeoplecandoeverything.
I,asaMexicancitizen,feelsoashamedanddisgustedforthiskindof
behaviorandcrueltythathappenedandstillhappensinmycountrybecause
noneofthepeoplewhocameupwiththisandexecutedthisplanhavebeen
punished.AsIwasgrowingupinMexicoIwasalwaystaughttolovemy
country,ournationalheroesandrespectourflagandpresident.Ievenmet
PresidentErnestoZedillowhenIwasinfirstgradeandIfeltsomuchrespect

towardshim.Itissadthatasyougrowupyoubegintoseehowthingstruly
areandhowtheyarenotasprettyastheymakeyoubelieve.
DecadesafterOctobersecond,peopleinMexicoandespeciallyTlatelolco
havetriedtoforgetwhathappenedthatdayandtriedtomoveforward.The
survivorsofthatdaystillpaytributetotheircolleagueseveryanniversary
anduniversityprofessor,FaustoTrejo,speakswithyoungstudentsthisdays
givingthematourofLaPlazaDeLasTresCulturasandstoppingatthe
memorialofOctobersecondandtriestoexplaintothemhowimportantand
bravethisbattlewasagainstthegovernment.October2,1968the
presidentoftherepublicwonabattlebutlostthewar.Hewantedtogo
downinhistoryasabuilderofnationsandendedupinhistoryasa
repressorofstudentswhoprotestedinpeace.Afterthisincidentthelongest
journeytowardsdemocracybegananddecadeslaterthereweretrustyand
cleanpresidentialcampaignsinaMexicosomewhatbetter,saidSergio
Aguayo,ahistorian(Poniatowska).
Sadly,recenteventshappeninginMexicoareteachingusthatnotonlydoes
historyrepeatitselfbutthatalsointhedecadesthathavepassedthe
governmenthasifnotremainedbutratherturnedevenmorecorrupt.
Today,43Mexicanstudentsaremissingafterheadinghomefromaprotest
againsttheabuseofthegovernmentonitspeoples.Tlatelolcohasnotbeen
alessontothedormantcivilianswhohaveconformedtothecorruptionof
theirgovernmentmaybethis43youthwillfinallymakeachange.

WorksCited
DiscoveryChannel.MasacredeMexico,SergioAguayo.(Media)
Doyle,Kate.TheTlatelolcoMassacre.Oct.10,2003.(Website)
Minster,Christopher.TheTlatelolcoMassacre.(Website)
Poniatowske,Elena.MassacreinMexico(Origianllyunderthetitle
LaNochede
Tlatelolco
)
TheVikingPressInc.,1975.PinguinBooks,USA.(Text)
RadioDiaries..Mexicos1968Massacre:WhatReallyHappened?.December1,
2008.(Website)