Genaro Vázquez Rojas

Genaro Vázquez Rojas (10 June 19312 February 1972) was a Mexican school teacher, organiser, militant, and guerrilla fighter.

Civic Associations

Guerreran Civic Community Genaro Vázquez Rojas studied law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), but did not finish. At age 24 he co-founded the Guerreran Civic Community (CCG), while teaching at schools in the slums of the Federal District. On May 13, 1960, Vázquez Rojas called his first neighborhood meeting in the San Francisco district of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, demanding an investigation of Raul Caballero Aburto, then Governor of Guerrero. On October 30, 1960, the ACG led 5,000 people in protest in a civic stand-in, similar to that of a sit-in, in support of recent demonstrations by students at the state university. Two years later, on December 31, 1962, 3,000 protesters assembled in Iguala, police attacked the demonstrators, 28 people were killed, dozens wounded, and 156 were arrested.

Death

The ACNR, operating along the Costa Grande between Acapulco and the Balsas River, drew the ire of the federal government for their actions. In response, they were pursued by army battalions, helicopters, paratroopers, and counter-insurgency technology developed by the United States in Vietnam. On 2 February 1972, Vázquez Rojas was captured by the army after fleeing a car wreck; it is believed he died from his wounds,