Bad Mexicans

1. Díaz's "Order and Progress" Fueled Revolution

“If we’re not careful . . . Porfirio could kill us while crying.”

Iron Fist Rule. Porfirio Díaz's long rule, known as the Porfiriato, brought a semblance of order and economic progress to Mexico after decades of chaos. However, this "progress" came at the cost of democracy, civil liberties, and the well-being of the poorest Mexicans. Díaz centralized power, manipulated elections, and used violence to suppress dissent, creating a system of "honorable tyranny" that prioritized stability over justice.

• He used the rurales, a deadly mobile strike force, to terrorize critics.
• He broadened the definition of libel to include criticism of government authorities.
• He manipulated the political machinery to maintain power.

Economic Disparity. Díaz's economic policies favored foreign investors, particularly U.S. citizens, who came to control key sectors of the Mexican economy, including railroads, oil, and mining. This led to massive land grabs, dispossessing millions of Mexicans and creating a system of debt peonage, where workers were trapped in cycles of poverty and dependence.

• U.S. citizens owned 130 million acres of Mexican land, a quarter of the arable land.
• Half of all U.S. overseas investment went to Mexico.
• Food production for domestic consumption declined as exports soared.

Seeds of Revolt. The combination of political repression and economic inequality created widespread discontent, laying the groundwork for the Mexican Revolution. Díaz's "order and progress" was built on a foundation of injustice, which ultimately fueled the very revolution he sought to prevent.

2. Magonistas: Intellectuals Igniting Revolt

“The Díaz administration is a den of thieves!”

Radical Thinkers. The magonistas, led by Ricardo Flores Magón, were a group of intellectuals, journalists, and activists who challenged Díaz's rule. They were inspired by anarchist and socialist ideas, advocating for a complete overhaul of Mexico's political and economic systems.

• They included figures like Librado Rivera, Juan Sarabia, and Juana Belén Gutiérrez de Mendoza.
• They were influenced by thinkers like Karl Marx, Mikhail Bakunin, and Peter Kropotkin.
• They believed in the power of popular violence to achieve social change.

Challenging the Status Quo. The magonistas were among the first to openly criticize Díaz's regime, calling it a "den of thieves" and exposing its corruption and brutality. They challenged the legitimacy of his rule and demanded fundamental changes to the political and economic order.

• They attacked the cozy relationship between the Catholic Church and the state.
• They questioned labor practices and the exploitation of workers.
• They sought to end the dispossession of land from rural and Indigenous communities.

Catalysts for Change. The magonistas' ideas and actions helped to mobilize a growing opposition movement against Díaz, laying the intellectual and political groundwork for the Mexican Revolution. They were not just critics; they were active agents of change, willing to risk their lives for their beliefs.

3. Regeneración: A Newspaper as a Weapon

“Paper is an idol to me, and I think that it will soon be my great weapon.”

Voice of Dissent. Regeneración, the newspaper founded by the Flores Magón brothers, became a powerful tool for disseminating their ideas and mobilizing opposition to the Díaz regime. It was a platform for exposing corruption, challenging injustice, and calling for revolution.

• It was initially a legal journal but transformed into a "journal of combat."
• It was smuggled across the border and distributed to workers and activists.
• It was a vehicle for spreading radical ideas and building a network of resistance.

Target of Repression. The Díaz regime recognized the power of Regeneración and sought to silence it through censorship, arrests, and the destruction of printing presses. Despite these efforts, the magonistas continued to publish and distribute their newspaper, using it as a weapon against the regime.

• The Flores Magón brothers were repeatedly arrested and imprisoned.
• Their printing presses were confiscated and destroyed.
• They were forced to operate in hiding and use pseudonyms.

Inspiring Action. Regeneración not only informed its readers but also inspired them to take action. It was a call to arms, urging Mexicans to fight for their rights and to overthrow the dictatorship. It was a testament to the power of the written word to ignite revolution.

4. The Borderlands: A Crucible of Resistance

“We stand between the already special considerations that keep the yankee on Mexican soil and the degrading, cruel system faced by the sons of Mexico on the other side of the Rio Bravo [Rio Grande].”

Cross-Border Region. The U.S.–Mexico borderlands became a crucial site of resistance against the Díaz regime. It was a place where Mexican exiles, migrant workers, and activists could organize, plan, and launch attacks on the regime.

• It was a region with a large Mexican population, many of whom had been displaced by Díaz's policies.
• It was a place where Spanish-language newspapers and radical ideas circulated freely.
• It was a space where the lines between the two nations blurred, creating a unique culture of resistance.

Safe Haven and Battleground. The borderlands provided a safe haven for magonistas fleeing persecution in Mexico, but it was also a battleground where they faced constant surveillance, harassment, and violence from both U.S. and Mexican authorities.

• They were targeted by U.S. and Mexican law enforcement.
• They were subjected to racial violence and lynchings.
• They were forced to operate in secrecy and use pseudonyms.

Transnational Resistance. The borderlands became a space of transnational resistance, where Mexicans on both sides of the border joined forces to fight against a common enemy. It was a place where the lines between nations and identities blurred, creating a powerful force for change.

5. Cananea: A Spark Igniting a Firestorm

“The Díaz administration is an absolute monarchy, a military dictatorship. Citizens are slaves.”

Labor Unrest. The 1906 strike at the Cananea Consolidated Copper Company (4Cs) was a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the Mexican Revolution. It exposed the exploitative labor practices of foreign-owned companies and the Díaz regime's willingness to suppress workers' rights.

• Mexican miners protested low wages, long hours, and dangerous working conditions.
• The strike was brutally suppressed by Mexican and U.S. forces.
• It became a symbol of the injustices of the Porfiriato.

Radicalizing Event. The Cananea strike radicalized many Mexicans, demonstrating the need for more than just political reform. It showed that economic inequality and exploitation were deeply embedded in the system and that only a complete revolution could bring about real change.

• It inspired other labor strikes and protests across Mexico.
• It fueled the growing opposition movement against Díaz.
• It demonstrated the power of collective action and resistance.

Cross-Border Solidarity. The Cananea strike also highlighted the interconnectedness of labor struggles across the U.S.–Mexico border. It showed that workers on both sides of the border faced similar challenges and that they needed to unite to fight for their rights.

6. The U.S. Role: Complicity and Suppression

“We are fearless because the omnipotent power of the President does not frighten us. . . . We would be ashamed to be cowards.”

Economic Interests. The U.S. government played a complex and often contradictory role in the lead-up to the Mexican Revolution. While some U.S. citizens supported the magonistas, the U.S. government largely sided with the Díaz regime, prioritizing economic interests over human rights.

• U.S. investors had a significant stake in the Mexican economy.
• The U.S. government was concerned about maintaining stability and protecting U.S. property.
• It was willing to support Díaz's regime, even as it became increasingly authoritarian.

Suppression of Dissent. The U.S. government actively participated in the suppression of the magonista movement, using its law enforcement agencies to monitor, arrest, and deport Mexican revolutionaries.

• The U.S. Postal Service was used to intercept and censor PLM mail.
• The U.S. Marshals and the Bureau of Investigation were used to track down and arrest magonistas.
• U.S. authorities collaborated with Mexican officials to suppress dissent on both sides of the border.

Aiding and Abetting. The U.S. government's actions helped to prop up the Díaz regime and delay the Mexican Revolution. It was a clear example of how U.S. foreign policy often prioritized economic interests over democratic values.

7. ¡Tierra y Libertad!: The Revolution's Cry

“We will fight without rest until the achievement of our ideals, always thinking that those same ideals were those of our fathers of ’57 sustained vigorously in the rostrum, in the book, in the press and in the battlefields.”

Land and Liberty. The magonistas' battle cry, "¡Tierra y Libertad!" (Land and Liberty!), captured the essence of their revolutionary vision. It was a call for both political and economic liberation, demanding an end to both tyranny and exploitation.

• It was a demand for the return of land to dispossessed communities.
• It was a call for the protection of workers' rights.
• It was a vision of a more just and equitable society.

Beyond Political Reform. The magonistas understood that political change alone was not enough. They sought a fundamental transformation of Mexican society, one that would empower the poor and marginalized and create a more just and equitable world.

• They challenged the power of the state, the church, and private property.
• They advocated for a society based on mutual aid and cooperation.
• They sought to create a world where all people could live in freedom and dignity.

Enduring Legacy. Although the magonistas did not lead the major battles of the Mexican Revolution, their ideas and actions had a lasting impact on the course of Mexican history. They helped to inspire the revolution and to shape its goals, leaving behind a legacy of resistance and struggle for social justice.

Last updated: January 28, 2025