GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

The Legacy of 1968 Continues to Burn in Mexico

undefined and null
Kevin B. Witherspoon
Board of Contributors

May 21, 2018 | 07:00 GMT

A massacre of students marred the legacy of the Mexico City Olympic Games held in 1968.

The pain of the student massacre that preceded Mexico City's Olympics in 1968 continues to linger in the country.

(IGOR GOLOVNIOV/Shutterstock.com)

Highlights

  • In the 1960s, Mexico's leaders saw hosting an Olympics as a chance to showcase the country's progress to the world.
  • The athletic competitions were a resounding success, but the military suppression of student protesters just days before the opening ceremonies overshadowed the event.
  • Fifty years later, memories of the massacre continue to haunt Mexico, and the country's violent legacy endures.

In Mexico, drug cartel assassins ushered in the first week of 2018, a key election year, with the murders of at least five political candidates, a spree of violence that has continued: More than 30 candidates have been assassinated to date. Cartel killers have also targeted journalists, especially those working to expose their nefarious activities, murdering a dozen in 2017 and at least four so far in 2018. Upcoming national elections and the promises of politicians advocating a crackdown on drug violence have incited a particularly vicious brand of wrath from the cartels, as the death toll this year seems destined to eclipse last year’s record-setting murder rate....

Subscribe to view this article

Subscribe Now

Subscribe

Already have an account?