Looking for Truths in a Constructed Archive: The Case of Jacinto López and the Politics of Accommodation in Rural Mexico
Keywords
political activism, declassified files, Mexico, 1960s, oral history, authoritarianism, historical memory, political violence
Keywords
political activism, declassified files, Mexico, 1960s, oral history, authoritarianism, historical memory, political violence
Abstract
This article uses the case of Jacinto López, a rural activist in mid-twentieth century Mexico, to understand several related issues: how the secret police managed to curtail political activism without having to resort to brutal violence; and how those close to López managed his heroic memory in the aftermath of what appears to have been his collaboration with the authoritarian regime in the last few years of his life. The article reflects on the politicized nature of non-traditional archives, including recently declassified materials and oral histories, in telling the difficult stories of Mexican activists across the 1960s.
Published
2016-05-09
Section
Articles / Artículos