around. The atmosphere was full of panic and confusion as blood covered the floor

with the smell of death. On the evening of October 2nd 1968, Mexico’s history was marked

by a student slaughter, the Massacre of Tlatelolco. Police, snipers, and the military were

shooting crowds gathered at the Plaza of the Tres Culturas, to take control of rebellious

students demanding rights. This is what Jesus Valles encountered, as one of the followers of

Under the presidency of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, Mexico lived through one of its toughest

political, emotional, and social periods ever. Being the sponsor for the up coming Olympic

Games, the Mexican government wanted total control over citizens, and sent the military to

keep order. Students from the UNAM, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, started to

revolt against granaderos (a special anti-force) that were oppressing students into

complete submission. The government worried that this would lead to further actions, and

distributed additional police, only to cause more fierce confrontations. Conflict

me, some severely wounded by bayonets or fire guns.

At 6.00 p.m. a helicopter flew over us. We thought it was a news reporter, when a green flare

Mexico City was ruled by the military seeing; armored cars, military jeeps, tanks on the main

imprisoned and others “disappeared”. I remember the sounds of machine guns going through

Some topics in this essay:
Cross Hospital, Tres Culturas, Jesus Valles, Consejo Nacional, Escuela Vocacional, Museum Zocalo, Mexico City, Palace Tensions, Nacional Autonoma, Union Address, jesus valles, october 2nd, october 2nd 1968, plaza tres, 2nd 1968, prevent fights, students army, tres culturas, evening october, plaza tres culturas, leaders arrested, evening october 2nd, armored cars,