Leticia Neria PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText ...

Chapter 2
Once upon a time there was a country: Mexico 1968-1976
Pasa el tiempo, irreversible. No hay manera
de medir el daño causado por los últimos
presidentes, de Díaz Ordaz a la fecha.
Han sido años de crueldad, despilfarro,
frivolidad, impotencia.
Desde Palacio no se vela por el país.
Se cuida la sobrevivencia del sistema.
Julio Scherer García (Los presidentes)
In this chapter we turn our attention to the historical period of the presidential terms of
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz (1964-1970) and his successor, Luis Echeverría Álvarez (1970-
1976). It will not be a complete description of those years, but instead the focus will be
on a selection of issues that found their way into the comics and films analysed in the
subsequent chapters. Readers may consult further references mentioned in the
bibliography to learn about the period more generally. The historical issues presented
here appear to be highly relevant for ordinary people. The intention of this chapter is
also to place our sources in the historical context in which they were created. I start with
the situation in Mexico at the end of the Díaz Ordaz sexenio, because without doubt,
part of Luis Echeverría’s presidency was influenced by the policies and crises of the
previous term. Later, I offer a concise survey of the situation in Mexico in the early
1970s. The chapter ends highlighting the topics which were discussed through humour
in the films and comics included in this research.
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz
In 1964, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz was elected president of Mexico after a long period as a
devoted militant and a political careerist in the Partido Revolucionario Institucional
(PRI), traditionally the most powerful party in Mexico. By that time the PRI had held