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

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money without working because they are tired of being poor and consider that wealth is<br />

unfairly distributed. They are called ‘los inconformes’, and there are images which link<br />

them with guerrilla movements, such as posters of a guerrillero similar to those who<br />

fought in the Cuban revolution, or, as we just mentioned, the use of words related to<br />

guerrilla movements. 127<br />

In September 1973 La Liga attempted to kidnap a businessman, Eugenio Garza<br />

Sada, who died during the attempt. In the same year, La Liga kidnapped another<br />

businessman and a diplomat from Great Britain, demanding five million pesos and the<br />

release and transfer to North Korea of 51 political prisoners. Luis Echeverría decided<br />

against negotiating with any of the rebel groups. 128 La Liga decided to liberate the<br />

diplomat but to kill the businessman. La Liga was clearly violent in their acts and<br />

methods: ‘eran atroces las huellas del salvajismo desatado en su rostro y a lo largo del<br />

cuerpo. El Bajío se incendió de rabia y temor’. 129 Echeverría moved against them<br />

without mercy. ‘Con todas las armas, el gobierno se preparó para enfrentar el terrorismo<br />

urbano. Su razonamiento fue brutal: al terrorismo guerrillero enfrentaría el terrorismo de<br />

Estado’. 130 And the Dirección Federal de Seguridad (DFS) was there to do the job.<br />

At the end of 1973 the DFS, commanded by Nazar Haro, created the Brigada<br />

Blanca, 131 a group to fight against urban guerrillas -La Liga was one of many groups<br />

carrying out clandestine activities and confronting the authorities in the cities. 132 By<br />

127<br />

Gabriel Vargas, La Familia Burrón, 17195.<br />

128<br />

Scherer, ‘Los patriotas’, p. 132.<br />

129<br />

Ibid., p. 118.<br />

130<br />

Ibid., p. 134.<br />

131<br />

The group began operating under the name Brigada Especial but changed it after confrontations with<br />

the Brigada Roja, a faction of the Liga Comunista 23 de Septiembre. The group was comprised of 250<br />

agents from the DFS, the Dirección de Investigaciones para la Prevención de la Delincuencia (DIPS), the<br />

military police, and the Policía Judicial. Torres, Nazar. La historia secreta… pp. 87-88.<br />

132<br />

For example, Fuerzas Revolucionarias Armadas del Pueblo (FRAP) appeared in 4 May 1973,<br />

dissatisfied by government exploitation of peasants and workers. They kidnapped the American consul in<br />

Guadalajara, Terrance Georges Leonhardy, and released him after all their demands were met by the<br />

government. Castellanos, México armado… pp. 211-212.<br />

65

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