The Revolution of the 43: Protest, Violence and Heritage in Contemporary Mexico

Abstract

The case of the missing 43 students from Ayotinzapa catalyzed Mexican society in 2014. Protesters from across the country took part in marches to protest widespread violence, corruption, and the impunity of government and police. This article analyzes how protesters contested dominant heritage narratives connected to the foundation of the modern Mexican state, as a means to seek justice and end human rights abuse. The article focuses on the National Museum of the Mexican Revolution, and the smaller regional Museum to the Serdán Brothers in Puebla, to explore how historical narratives of the Mexican state are invoked in contemporary society. It extends this analysis to consider how such sites enable protesters’ to challenge government more broadly. In so doing, the article explores the entanglement of heritage with protest, political and social violence in contemporary Mexico, and draws attention to the capacity of heritage to empower the vulnerable and to enable those on the periphery to challenge the political center.