Long live the revolution! The Zócalo in Mexico City once again lights up with themed decoration to celebrate the Mexican Revolution. For this reason, on Monday, November 14, the lights were turned on, attended by artists who interpreted and danced the traditional corridos of the time. It should be noted that it is the first time in history that lighting is placed for this reason.
The main design, which hangs on Avenida 20 de Noviembre, presents the face of Ricardo Flores Magón, anarchist journalist and forerunner of the revolutionary struggle. The main objective is to pay homage to this great social fighter on the centenary of his death anniversary, next to be celebrated on November 21.
Who was Ricardo Flores Magón?
Richard was born on September 16, 1874 in Eloxochitlán, Oaxaca. His parents were Daisy Magon and the lieutenant colonel Theodore Flores of indigenous origin. It should be noted that he had two brothers: Jesus Y Enrique who accompanied him and were part of his great intellectual and political trajectory.
When Ricardo was still very young, the Flores Magón family moved to Mexico City. There, he and his siblings received a great influence from his father. Colonel Teodoro repudiated Porfirio Díaz because that president had not recognized or rewarded his participation in 1867 during a battle against the French invasion.
That was how the brothers inherited their rejection of the Porfirian regime. In addition, thanks to the origin of his father, he permeated in the family the pride of belonging to an indigenous ethnic group. This fact was later reflected in the ideals of Ricardo who defended the idea of community.
The Magóns were still very young when they began to participate in various student revolts. One of them was exactly against Díaz’s re-election in 1892. In this revolt, Jesus was arrested. In the meantime, and after having collaborated with the newspaper the democrat –founded by Francisco I. Madero–, Ricardo and his brother gave life to Regeneration.
The Flores Magón and the Mexican Revolution
Ricardo created the newspaper Regeneración because he was aware of the importance of the unofficial media for the dissemination of revolutionary ideas and in favor of the people. For the same reason, his publications invited reflection and the awakening of arms against the injustices committed.
It should be noted that, at first, Ricardo’s thought was marked by liberalism. However, with the passage of time and the readings of authors such as Mikhail Bakunin, Joseph Proudhon, Emma Goldman and Piotr Kroptkin –among others–, his ideas leaned towards anarchism. This thought was embodied in Regeneration and in the numerous publications that Ricardo made throughout his life – including his literary texts.
it was like that Regeneration He also served as an important promoter of the Acayucan Rebellion and the Río Blanco and Cananea Strikes. Due to the violent and repressive responses of the government, the situation in the country became intolerable. Added to this was the emergence of the forces that consolidated the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution such as the Maderistas and the Villistas.
However, due to his strong criticism of the Porfirian regime and, later, of the “revolutionary” regime, Ricardo was persecuted, censored and imprisoned numerous times. Even so, she never backed down. Finally, Ricardo Flores Magón died on November 21, 1922 in the Leanvenworth prison in Kansas.. However, despite the fact that the official version of the death was that it was due to natural causes, his fellow fighters were sure that it was a homicide.
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