The Cristero conflicto in Mexico: the other side of the Revolution

el otro lado de la Revolución

Abstract

The 1910 Revolution constitutes a necessary referent to understand Mexican history. Among the most distinctive ideals of the post revolutionary State is laicism, constitutionally established by the liberal government since the mid-19th century and reinforced with the victory of the revolutionary groups. With this in mind, the decade of 1920s is important for two reasons: a) because during this period state power was consolidated, whose representatives eliminated every political adversary; and b) because this consolidation also meant a fierce war with the Catholic Church and its faithful. One must not forget that the ecclesiastic institution has been present in Mexico since the vice regal era, and its persistence made it much more legitimate than the newly founded post-revolutionary State. Contrary to prevailing wisdom, the insurgences in favor of the Church were neither isolated nor disjointed; they were part of an organized movement with clear objectives. This article seeks to give an account of the clash of interests that provoked the Guerra Cristera, one of the bloodiest and least explored armed conflicts in Mexico during the 20th century