The Lacandones and Mexico's Descent into Violence
In the 1960s/70s Mexico, the Lacandones commando, a student-led guerrilla group, sought socialist revolution. They funded operations through company raids, but were ultimately crushed by the government. Their legacy fueled the September 23rd Communist League and the devastating Dirty War.
During the 1960s and 1970s, guerrilla movements emerged in Mexico seeking political and social changes in the country. After the repression of October 2, 1968, in Tlatelolco, where paramilitary and military groups shot at students and the general population, some youth collectives decided to take up arms. As a result, several urban guerrillas were created, such as the Lacandones commando, developed in Mexico City.
The group's purpose was to overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist government that would guarantee an equitable distribution of wealth. Inspired by the theoretical principles of Marxism and influenced by the Cuban Revolution, they chose to constitute themselves as an armed movement. They firmly believed that only through armed means could they achieve their objectives, since even peaceful social movements faced arrests, torture, and assassinations.
