State Sponsored Violence: How Dialogue Shapes Memory

• In Event: Poster Session: Frontiers in Conflict Processes

Abstract

In 1968, thousands of students filled the Tlatelolco area in Mexico City, to protest the excessive power of the government and lack of political freedom. Police and military were deployed to subdue the public unrest resulting in death, imprisonment, and torture of hundreds. Although years have passed, the massacre of students is annually remembered through marches attended by students demanding that similar events not reoccur. This raises two questions: How is the state violence of the dirty war portrayed and discussed through speeches, media, and written documents? In what ways does Mexico’s commemoration practices differ from those of other Latin American countries with similar histories? This paper aims to understand the common themes and events highlighted by public discourse and the consequences the unresolved conflict has had on modern politics. Through these questions, this paper discusses the collective memory that is constructed. Using content analysis, archival documents, and comparing media, I examine when and what is discussed. I found that the discourse on the topic contributes to the continued discussion among the public, and much of the dialogue centers on anniversaries. This dialogue has a significant role in shaping historical narratives of new generations. Many countries in Latin America had dirty wars, however, Mexico’s case of repression stands out in contrast due to its lack of judicial proceedings or Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports, making the discourse instrumental in understanding the memory of today.

Author

• Erika Arias, Syracuse University