PLACA presents: Mexican Revolution at 100

Mexican Revolution at 100 Patricia Martin Professor of Geography University of Montreal Martin will consider the legacy of the Mexican revolution in relationship to the forms and nature of political violence in contemporary Mexico. She will draw on two current research projects that she is undertaking in Oaxaca, one that examines the phenomenon of femicide, and one that looks at the state repression of social movements in the 1970s, in order to assess the degree to which the Mexican revolution informs contemporary forms of violence.   Matt Cleary Associate Professor of Political Science Syracuse University Cleary will explore the revolutionary origins of many of Mexico’s current political institutions, particularly the electoral system and the strict prohibition against reelection.  He argues that while these institutions may have contributed to Mexico’s long period of stability during the 20th century, in the post-2000 era they have had a debilitating effect on the quality of democratic governance. Gustavo Flores-Macías Assistant Professor of Government Cornell University Flores-Macías will elaborate on his current research on the militarization of anti-drug efforts in contemporary Mexico. He will tie this contemporary use of the military to the evolution of civil-military relations in Mexico since the 1910 Revolution. Gladys McCormick Assistant Professor of History Syracuse University McCormick will consider the question of whether or not the 1910 Revolution really mattered in the political identity of Mexico’s rural peoples during the mid-twentieth century. She will draw on the case of Morelos in south-central Mexico to elaborate her arguments in relation to the communities that fought under the leadership of Emiliano Zapata, the quintessential revolutionary hero. Lunch will be served.