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El Laberinto, 1971-1987
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Guerrilla leader killed in Mexico I By Lionel Martin Guardian staff correspondent Havana, Cuba [hand drawing] "I owe my freedom and my life to Genaro Vazquez. They were going to kill me in prison." The speaker was Mario Menedez founder and publisher of the revolutionary Mexican magazine Por Que. A month earlier he and seven other Mexican political prisoners had been exchanged for the life of the kidnapped millionaire rector of the University of Guerrero and shipped on a plane to Cuba. Vazquez, who died last week at the age of 38, was born in Guerrero of poor peasant parents. He became a teacher and from 1957 to the end of 1960 he taught aqt different schools in Mexico City. Leaving his teaching job, Vazquez returned to Guerrero and joined the left political movements in Chilpancingo, capital of the state. A convincing speaker and excellent organizer, he became leader of the Guerrero Civic Committee. Demonstrations led by the committee and student activists were met with violent repression, but they managed to force the resignation of a particularly corrupt and reactionary governor. Vazquez was blamed for the disorders and was forced to travel to northern Mexico, posing as a farm laborer. He was arrested in Mexico City and sent back to the Guerrero Prison. Soon after his imprisonment, Vazquez was released by guerrillas from the Civic Committee. Two police and two guerrillas were killed in the action. The remaining members of the group escaped to the mountains of Guerrero, the old home base of Zapata and launched the Guerrero National Revolutionary Civic association to carry on armed struggle. Vazquez grew to be a legend to the poor of Guerrero as his guerrilla units kept the army at bay and carried on educational work among the people. Brutal overseers and notorious members of the landlords' private armies were executed. On Dec 30, 1970, the guerrillas kidnapped a wealthy banker and ransomed him for $40,000. The army began a massive operation against the guerrillas, bringing together 25 battalions, some 14 percent of the entire Mexican army. Government troops gave out food and clothing to the poor peasants of the area in an attempt to win their support, but the guerrillas continued to win victories. In November of last year, Vazquez's forces kidnapped university rector Jaime Diez and ransomed him after the government agreed to fly eight political prisoners to Cuba and Diez's family agreed to pay $250,000 in ransom. The day after his death, 38 prisoners, some of them members of his guerrilla forces, escaped from the Morelia prison through a tunnel. It is rumored that Vazquez was heading toward Morelia to direct the escape when he died. Vazquez is dead, but the escaped members of his command, and those still in the mountains, are carrying on his struggle to free Mexico. [Caption for illustration] Genaro Vazquez Rojas, slain leader of guerrilla movement in Guerrerro, Mexico.
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Guerrilla leader killed in Mexico I By Lionel Martin Guardian staff correspondent Havana, Cuba [hand drawing] "I owe my freedom and my life to Genaro Vazquez. They were going to kill me in prison." The speaker was Mario Menedez founder and publisher of the revolutionary Mexican magazine Por Que. A month earlier he and seven other Mexican political prisoners had been exchanged for the life of the kidnapped millionaire rector of the University of Guerrero and shipped on a plane to Cuba. Vazquez, who died last week at the age of 38, was born in Guerrero of poor peasant parents. He became a teacher and from 1957 to the end of 1960 he taught aqt different schools in Mexico City. Leaving his teaching job, Vazquez returned to Guerrero and joined the left political movements in Chilpancingo, capital of the state. A convincing speaker and excellent organizer, he became leader of the Guerrero Civic Committee. Demonstrations led by the committee and student activists were met with violent repression, but they managed to force the resignation of a particularly corrupt and reactionary governor. Vazquez was blamed for the disorders and was forced to travel to northern Mexico, posing as a farm laborer. He was arrested in Mexico City and sent back to the Guerrero Prison. Soon after his imprisonment, Vazquez was released by guerrillas from the Civic Committee. Two police and two guerrillas were killed in the action. The remaining members of the group escaped to the mountains of Guerrero, the old home base of Zapata and launched the Guerrero National Revolutionary Civic association to carry on armed struggle. Vazquez grew to be a legend to the poor of Guerrero as his guerrilla units kept the army at bay and carried on educational work among the people. Brutal overseers and notorious members of the landlords' private armies were executed. On Dec 30, 1970, the guerrillas kidnapped a wealthy banker and ransomed him for $40,000. The army began a massive operation against the guerrillas, bringing together 25 battalions, some 14 percent of the entire Mexican army. Government troops gave out food and clothing to the poor peasants of the area in an attempt to win their support, but the guerrillas continued to win victories. In November of last year, Vazquez's forces kidnapped university rector Jaime Diez and ransomed him after the government agreed to fly eight political prisoners to Cuba and Diez's family agreed to pay $250,000 in ransom. The day after his death, 38 prisoners, some of them members of his guerrilla forces, escaped from the Morelia prison through a tunnel. It is rumored that Vazquez was heading toward Morelia to direct the escape when he died. Vazquez is dead, but the escaped members of his command, and those still in the mountains, are carrying on his struggle to free Mexico. [Caption for illustration] Genaro Vazquez Rojas, slain leader of guerrilla movement in Guerrerro, Mexico.
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