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

ock and roll and read the writers of this wave. 176 But for the middle class it proved
impossible to overcome their values, 177 which were deeply rooted and continued to be
promoted by the government and families alike.
Conclusion
Beginning in the 1950s, with the desire for social change, and continuing through the
1960s, part of Mexican society was seeking renovation: more democracy, more
opportunities, a better way of life, economic improvements. But the government did not
respond to its demands and it even punished attempts to transform. Mexico was not the
only country facing such social pressures; they were part of a global wave. Many
expressed opposition to the authorities by joining social movements, but when the
authorities cracked down, some accepted defeat while others believed the only way to
make progress was through armed struggle. Others searched for new ways to express
disagreement, and began to organise and participate in countercultural movements.
These organisations demonstrated the social desire for change as well as the
determination to break with the authorities.
Despite Echeverría’s attempts to project an image different from his
predecessors, and despite the fact that his policies did benefit sectors such as cinema
and culture, his regime was marked by violence, authoritarianism and abuse of power.
Although the economy did suffer from his non-orthodox economic policies, in social
terms he was just as authoritarian as his predecessors. During his presidential term there
was strong repression against social movements, and his was a very violent period in
Mexican history. Even though he promoted the apertura democrática, little changed. He
176 José Agustín, La contracultura en México…p. 90.
177 Zolov, Rebeldes con causa… p. 321.
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