Ideologic struggles

and the end of Calles influence

With the coming of the world economic crisis, the Sonora Governor, Rodolfo Elias Calles (son of Plutarco Elias Calles), fights the growing unemployment through government sponsored labor intensive public works. In September, 1932, in Magdalena, the highway between Nogales and Guaymas is dedicated, while the following year the straightening of the Los Nogales Arroyo to avoid future floods is approved. It will be finished in 1935.

In education, the nationalistic cultural project took off with the Vasconcelist Cultural Missions, under the direction of Rafael Ramirez, while in Nogales, the first Federal High School outside of Mexico City, was founded in September 1930

Professor Alfonso Acosta Villalvazo, who had been a pupil of Rafael Ramirez, and belonged to the group of teachers that established the Nogales High School, moved to Tamaulipas in 1931, because "the environment was hostile." Therefore, he didn´t witness the Sonoran nationalist radicalization promoted by Governor Rodolfo Elías Calles.

During the summer of 1933, all of the Sonora teachers had to attend a series of political indoctrination courses in Hermosillo, at the end of which the Federation of Agrupations of Socialist Teachers of Sonora (of nationalsocialist tendency) was established.

The following year, the Governor ordered again the expulsion of all the priests and the closing of Sonora temples, while in September several religious efiges were burn at the Sonora Brewery, in Hermosillo. This was the first step in the project to transfer to the State the spiritual role of the Church, in a transference of sacrality towards a secular religion with civic rituals.

The Sonora Bishop, Juan Navarrete, instead of leaving for exile, decided to hide in Sonora, while Governor Calles ordered the substitution of Sunday Masses by Cultural Sundays, during which theater presentations attacking the Church, and poems as well as parodies against the Church were presented.

In September, 1934, Lazaro Cardenas had assumed the office of President of Mexico, while in Sonora the Callistas still remained in power. The Summer of 1935, all the unionized teachers, the laborers and peasants in Sonora gave their support to the Callista candidate for Governor: Ramon Ramos.

In June, the Education Inspector created the Depuration Committee, with the function of investigating the ideology of Sonora teachers, and firing those not following the nationalsocialist ideology.

The Federal project, on the other side, was to unite the regional federations into organisms that would aglutinate the laborers and teachers. This way, the Confederation of Laborers and Peasants of Sonora would be joined to the Federation of Federal Teachers in Sonora. With this union, one of the aims of the revolution would be reached: joining laborers, teachers and students towards the economic and educational improvement of society. In the agrarian dimension, the Federal Government promoted the collective ejido.

In January, 1935, Professor Acosta returned to Nogales, as Director of the High School, and following the orientation of the Federal government, he organized the Nightly Cultural Center, directed by third grade high school students, who offered classes of cooperativism and sindicalism to the Nogales laborers. They didn´t follow the Nationalsocialist ideology, but an active sindicalism, as a prelude of the coming struggle between the different ideological currents in Mexico, for the social control.

On August 19 ofthe same year, the US Congress authorized a law putting the building and maintenance of the border fences under the jurisdiction of the International Commission of Limits and Waters.

In June, the break between Cardenas and Calles had been declared, and on October, in Southern Sonora, the Mayo Indians rebelled against Governor Ramos, while in the Moctezuma District, Luis Ibarra Encinas, a veteran from the Jalisco Cristero Wars, also rebelled under the slogan of ¡Viva Cristo Rey! In Granados and Saharipa, the Municipal Presidents were killed.

In Northern Sonora, the cattlemen also rebelled in two fronts. In the Altar District, Pablo Rebeil with Juan E. Caballero killed the Altar Presidente, and installed Caballero in his place. They deposed the Municipal Councils of Pitiquito, Caborca, and Oquitoa, and forced the one from Atil to join them.

Besides this, Jesus Maria Suarez Arvizu also rebelled in the Magdalena District with some 50 men, and attacked Santa Ana on October 14, killing the recently elected Municipal President together with the Police Commissary. His troops then burned down the railroad bridges near Magdalena, and then went to the Santa Cruz River, where they were defeated by the State Forces at El Saucito, some 10 Km, East of San Lazaro.

During this uprising, Suarez had a meeting with Bishop Navarrete, where he was offered to join the Ibarra uprising. However, he declined, as well as to join the Cristero Plan de Cerro Gordo. Besides this, both Suarez and Rebeil declared that they were Cardenistas, opposing the Ramos Government.

During this uprising, Presidente Cardenas sent one of his most trusted men, Gral Betetal, to talk to the rebels, and they asked him not to apply in Sonora the ejido program. This is the origin of the "Certificados de Inafectabilidad Ganadera" through which, the cattle ranches wouldn´t be affected by ejidos.

On December 13, Ex President Calles arrived at Mexico City. Three days later, President Cardenas removed Governor Ramos in Sonora, and named in his place Gral. Jesus Gutierrez Cazares, with the task of purging the Callistas from Sonora.

This was the way how President Cardenas used, if not actually instigated, the rebellion of those unhappy with the Callismo in Sonora, to erradicate his influence in the State. In April 9, 1936, Ex President Calles was sent into exile, and his political influence was erradicated from Mexico.