Mexican Liberal Party

Mexican Liberal Party
Partido Liberal Mexicano
Mexican Liberal Party Partido Liberal Mexicano
President	Ricardo Flores Magón
Vice President	Juan Sarabia (1905–1911)
Founded	28 September 1905
Dissolved	1918
Split from	Liberal Party
Headquarters	Mexico City
Newspaper	Regeneración
Ideology	Magonism; Radicalism; Jacobinism; Anarcho-syndicalism
Political position	Far-left
Colours	Red; Black
Party flag
	Politics of Mexico; Political parties; Elections;

TheMexican Liberal Party(Spanish:Partido Liberal Mexicano,PLM) was founded in August 1900 when engineer Camilo Arriaga published a manifesto entitledInvitacion al Partido Liberal(Invitation to the Liberal Party). The invitation was addressed toMexican liberalswho were dissatisfied with the waythe governmentofPorfirio Díazwas deviating from the liberalConstitution of 1857.^[8]Arriaga called on Mexican liberals to form local liberal clubs, which would then send delegates to a liberal convention.^[9]

The first Mexican Liberal Party Convention was held inSan Luis Potosíin February 1901. Fifty local clubs from thirteen states sent 56 delegates.^[10]The Convention delegates affirmed their liberal beliefs infree speech,free press,andfree assembly.They objected to the close workings of the Diaz government and the Catholic Church.^[11]The convention produced fifty-one resolutions which called for the organization of the new Liberal Party, propagation of liberal principles, development of means to combat the political influence of the clergy, establishment of means to improve the administration of justice, proposals calling for guarantees of the rights of citizens and real freedom of the press, and proposals favoring complete self-government at the local level. They also called for support for free secular education in the primary schools, the spread of liberal ideas among the lower classes, the establishment of liberal publications, and the taxation of Church income.^[12]

Ricardo Flores Magón attended the first Convention as a reporter for his newspaperRegeneración( "Regeneration" ). He afterwards published an editorial in favorable support of the aims and aspirations. In April 1901, the new Mexican Liberal Party opened a branch inMexico City,and Ricardo Flores Magón and his brothers joined and became active members. Always a bit more radical than most members, Flores Magón was forced into exile in January 1904. Finally settling inSan Antonio,Texas,Flores Magón called for radical members of the Liberal Party to follow him in a new organization. In September 1905, the radical liberals, led by Flores Magón, formed a new organization calledJunta Organizadora del Partido Liberal Mexicano(PLM). This organization would be separate from the Liberal Party, and it would seek to coordinate the violent overthrow of the Díaz government.^[13]The PLM was involved in strikes and uprisings in Mexico from 1906 to 1911.

Overview

The party controlled the northern part ofBaja Californiain 1911, includingTijuana,Mexicali,andTecate.In August 1911 part of the PLM militants, including Juan Sarabia,Jesús Flores MagónandAntonio Díaz Soto y Gamasplit from the organization and transformed into the "Liberal Party" (Spanish:Partido Liberal).^[14]

The PLM was supported from exile inTexasby the feminist writerAndrea Villarreal.

Background

In February 1901, the Liberal Congress was founded inSan Luis Potosí,in which representatives of fourteen states of theMexican Republicdemanded to dismiss the postulates of theConstitution of 1857.Dozens of liberal clubs were created throughout the country and an attempt was made to establish a "Confederation of Liberal Circles", but the following year its founders were arrested. Porfirio Díaz severely repressed the entire opposition and in 1902 he was re-elected as president of Mexico for the third time.

By 1904 the police persecution of the Diaz government, its political opponents were forced to seek refuge abroad, coupled with the growing political differences between the liberals, a group headed by Camilo Arriaga, went into exile in San Antonio, Texas, and another, headed by Ricardo Flores Magón, in the border city of Laredo.

Diaz agents backed by US authorities chased liberals in Texas, so they continued to move further and further north. On 28 September 1905, in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, the Magón Flores group drafted the manifesto with which the Organizing Board of the Mexican Liberal Party was constituted. The tasks of the Organizing Board were to summon and articulate all the opposing forces to prepare the fight against the dictator.

Example ofRegeneración,the publication of the PLM, 1906.

On 1 July 1906, after almost a year of discussion on the political, economic and social situation of the country, the Manifesto and Program of the Mexican Liberal Party was published. Among the main policies of the program were the eight-hour day, prohibition of child labor, minimum wage, compensation for accidents at work, compulsory and free secular education. Years later, these policies presented by the PLM in this program formed the basis of the 1917Constitution of Mexico,which officially ended theMexican Revolution.

Strikes and insurrections

The PLM organized several uprisings against the Porfirio Díaz regime, all of which were violently repressed. The PLM Program influenced theCananea strike,andRío Blanco strike,as well as theAcayucan rebellion.

On16 September,the PLM initiated their revolutionary plan. When the groups operating in the United States took over the main border customs and reinforced the supply of weapons, the 44 guerilla groups (totalling 2200 fighters) all over the republic would rise up in arms. However most of the liberals were discovered by the US police, who seized weapons and documents that discovered the insurrection plans, so it had to be postponed. 26 September was set as the new date to start the Revolution. A group of liberals attackedJiménezbut after a few hours federal forces arrived, outnumbering and forcing them to flee. Other attacks were carried out inMonclova,Zaragoza,Piedras Negrasand other small towns inCoahuila,to similar results.

On 30 September, theAcayucan rebellionbegan, led by Hilario C. Salas and Cándido Donato Padua, PLM delegates fromVeracruzandTabasco.InAcayucanthe clashes against the army lasted 4 days. Most of the rebels died, some fled to the Soteapan mountain range where they reorganized the guerrilla war, continuing the fight until 1911.

On 16 October, a third insurrectional attempt was made inCamargo,which was also defeated. On 19 October, the group fromEl Paso,organized byRicardo Flores Magón,ventured intoCiudad Juarez,but were discovered crossing the border by federal soldiers, who were already aware of the uprising. The next day the rest of the insurgents were arrested in El Paso by immigration agents andPinkertondetectives, but Magón managed to escape.

On 24 June 1908 the PLM attackedViesca,but were repelled and defeated. The leaders were apprehended and sent to thepolitical prisonofSan Juan de UlúainVeracruz.On 26 June, the liberals attackedAcuña,Casas GrandesandPalomas.There was also belligerent PLM activity inOaxaca,Puebla,TlaxcalaandMorelos.The railroad strike that paralyzed the northern part of the country that year was also influenced by the PLM.

A Pinkerton agent inSt. Louisdeclared that, in 1908, 180 members of the PLM had been arrested and placed in Mexican prisons, so "the danger of a revolution had passed".^[15]But in 1909,Práxedis G. Guerreropublished a series of manifestos aimed at the workers of the world, and urged Mexicans to rise up in rebellion. The most effective weapon of the PLM was the press. Even in exile, it had at least 7 publications in different locations, all of which were gradually suppressed by the authorities.^[16]

The Mexican Libertarian Army

Soldiers of the Libertarian Army during theBaja Revolution,1911.

For the Mexican Liberal Party, simply overthrowing dictatorPorfirio Díazwasn't enough if it did not guarantee communal freedom. They understood that the struggle forpolitical freedomwas useless ifeconomic freedomdidn't come with it, so in order to guarantee that freedom it would be necessary to take and defend the land in an armed rebellion. The armed groups of the PLM were organized into theLiberal Army Confederation,also known as theMexican Libertarian Army.

On 23 September 1910, the PLM Organizing Board inLos Angelespublished, inRegeneration,a libertarian manifesto that called on Mexicans to fight against theState,theClergyandCapital,under the slogan "Land and Freedom", an ideal that a month later was taken up byEmiliano Zapata.

The most important military campaign of the Mexican Liberal Army was theBaja Revolution.Mexicans and volunteers of other nationalities participated in thisanarchistandsocialistrevolution; reason that gave rise to the authorities intensifying their repression of the PLM. By refusing to recognize theTreaties of Ciudad Juárez,the PLM guerrillas were persecuted and exterminated by thefederal armyandMaderistgroups during the provisional government of Francisco León de la Barra, who requested support from theUnited States governmentto transfer Mexican troops through American territory and attack the Baja revolution on two fronts.

The military campaigns of the PLM, failed again and again due to the lack of resources, police infiltration and confusion caused by counterproductive tactics. Although for some,Maderismrepresented the most viable political alternative; for others, supporting Madero was simply the only way to escape alive from Mexican prisons. However, there were others who preferred jail or death to betraying their ideals.^[17]

Final years

After the raid on Baja California, and withRicardo Flores Magón,Librado RiveraandAnselmo Figueroain jail, there were other armed uprisings on behalf of the PLM. Such was the case ofPrimitivo Gutiérrezwho on 9 February 1912, on behalf of the PLM, repealed the Constitution and declaredanarchist communismin the town of Las Vacas,Coahuila.^[18]In 1913 PLM groups attempted to launch themselves back into the armed struggle. While attempting to enterMexicofromTexas,they faced a group of rangers, were defeated and sentenced to 50 years or more of prison.^[19]However, these actions had no major impact on the development of events in Mexico, the PLM's role in theMexican Revolutiondrew to a close.

In 1915, after the death ofAnselmo L. Figueroaand the lack of resources to continueRegeneration,a small group of the PLM moved to a farm located inEdendale, Los Angeles.There they lived and worked communally, raised chickens and grew vegetables that they sold for support, while carrying out the political work of the PLM, now renamed theRevolutionary Workers Union(UOR).^[20]

In February 1916,EnriqueandRicardo Flores Magónwere arrested at their home inEdendale,accused of defamingVenustiano Carranza.They were released months later, when a committee promoted byEmma GoldmanandAlexander Berkmancollected the bail money demanded by the Los Angeles court. Shortly after leaving prison, Enrique Flores Magón left the UOR, along with most others.Librado RiveraandRicardo Flores Magónremained, and together they published a manifesto inRegenerationaddressed to anarchists of the world. In 1918, they were arrested, accused of conspiracy by the United States government, and sentenced to 15 and 20 years in prison respectively.

Flores Magón died in prison in 1922. Rivera was released and deported to Mexico where he continued denouncing the governments emanating from the revolution, he was imprisoned during the mandate ofPlutarco Elías Callesand died in 1932.

Legacy

The PLM slogan "Tierra y Libertad" (Land and Liberty) also appeared in the group'sRegeneraciónnewspaper illustrations.Ricardo Flores Magónused it as the title of a play andWilliam C. Owenused it as the title of an American anarchist newspaper.^[21]

References

^Ricardo Flores Magón – El Apóstol cautivo, tomo I, cap. 9 – El Partido Liberal Mexicano Archived17 June 2013 at theWayback Machine[Currently not working, use the reference below]Government of Mexico(in Spanish)
^Ricardo Flores Magón – El Apóstol cautivo, tomo I, cap. 9, pg. 166 – El Partido Liberal Mexicano Library of the Department of Historic Investigations(in Spanish)
^Hodges, Donald C. (2010).Mexican Anarchism after the Revolution.University of Texas Press. p. 49.ISBN 978-0-292-78875-6.
^Bosque Lastra, Margarita (1997).La constitución de hoy y su protección hacia el siglo XXI.Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. p. 132.
^Suárez Cortina, Manuel (2013).Cuestión religiosa España y México en la época liberal.Ediciones Universidad Cantabria. pp. 218–219.
^Córdova, Arnaldo (1973).La ideología de la Revolución Mexicana la formación del nuevo régimen.Ediciones Era. p. 122.
^Buchenau, Jürgen (3 September 2015). "The Mexican Revolution, 1910–1946".Latin American History:2.doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.21.ISBN 978-0-19-936643-9.
^Ward Albro, "Always a Rebel" 1992, p8
^Ward Albro, "Always a Rebel" 1992, p10
^Ward Albro, "Always a Rebel" 1992, p10
^Ward Albro, "Always a Rebel" 1992, p8
^Ward Albro, "Always a Rebel" 1992, p13
^Ward Albro, "Always a Rebel" 1992, p30
^John Lear – Workers, Neighbors, and Citizens: The Revolution in Mexico City. Political cultures and movilization – Maderista politics
^Ricardo Flores Magón: una vida en rebeldía,Salvador Hernández Padilla, September 2003
^Cockcroft, D. James; Barrales, María Eunice (1971).Precursores intelectuales de la Revolución Mexicana(1900–1913).Siglo XXI.ISBN 968-23-1631-6.p. 146.
^Hernández Padilla, Salvador (1984).El Magonismo: Historia de una pasión libertaria 1900–1922.Ediciones Era.ISBN 968-411-199-1.p. 193-194.
^Regeneración Tomo IV, No. 77.Los Ángeles, California.17 de febrero de 1912.Archivo Electrónico Ricardo Flores Magón.
^This group of condemned PLM members were known as "The Martyrs of Texas."Notes on a letter from Flores Magón to lawyer Harry Weinberger, defender of Flores Magón and the Martyrs of Texas.Kansas, 1920. Upon his return to Mexico,Librado Riverawrote the book "Los Martires de Texas", in favor of the freedom of his fellow prisoners.
^Hernández Padilla, Salvador. op. cit., p. 197.
^Streeby, Shelley (8 February 2013).Radical Sensations: World Movements, Violence, and Visual Culture.Duke University Press. p. 107.ISBN 978-0-8223-9554-6.