MEXICO'S CENTENNIALS: The Promise and Legacy of the Mexican Revolution

Abstract: 

Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas offers his perspective on the Mexican Revolution and what it means for Mexico today.

Today I will discuss why the Mexican Revolution broke out, the key decisions that shaped the country’s revolutionary transformation, its setbacks, and why I think that the ideals and unattained goals of the Mexican Revolution are still valid for Mexicans seeking to build a democratic and sovereign nation and an egalitarian and progressive society. The social and political movement known as the Mexican Revolution exploded as a reaction against the long-lasting dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz, an authoritarian regime centered on one man and one man’s decisions. It was a social reaction against a change-resistant system. Nothing seemed to move in Mexico. People were tired, disenchanted, and irritated because there were no opportunities but those offered by the dictator.

Author: 
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas
Publication date: 
January 12, 2010
Publication type: 
Berkeley Review of Latin American Studies Article