Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco (1890 – August 11, 1940) was a Mexican general, revolutionary, and the founder and leader of the

fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...

paramilitary organization Revolutionary Mexicanist Action, better known as the Gold Shirts. Throughout his life, he had taken part in multiple rebellions against the

Mexican government The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...

. By the 1930s, Rodríguez Carrasco had become an admirer of Adolf Hitler and campaigned through his paramilitary group to expel the Jews,

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

, and communists from Mexico. The organization was largely supported and protected by Plutarco Elías Calles as both Calles and Rodríguez Carrasco were staunch opponents of the Cárdenas governemnt. After Calles's exile in 1935 and subsequent loss of his protection, Rodríguez Carrasco was expelled from Mexico in August of 1936. During his second exile in Texas, Rodríguez Carrasco and the Revolutionary Mexicanist Action planned a coup against the Mexican Government. Planning and preparations were largely funded by fascist organizations based in Europe as well as Texan oil tycoons and

COPARMEX Coparmex or Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana is the Mexican Employers' Association. Current president (March 2020): Fernando Treviño Núñez,Mexican oil expropriation. On November 13, 1938, the attack was launched on the city of Matamoros but was quickly thwarted by the Mexican national guard.

Early life

Rodríguez Carrasco was born in

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

. His father was a Carrancista during the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

before joining the

Northern Division Northern Division or North Division can refer to: Sports * Northern Division (Rugby Union) Leagues of England * Queensland Rugby League Northern Division * Southern League Northern Division of the Southern Football League in England * FA Women's ...

. At a very young age, he met and established a very close friendship with Pancho Villa. In more than one occasion, Rodríguez Carrasco hid Villa in his parents' house to evade capture by rurales. In a statement given by Rodríguez Carrasco in 1912, he met Villa as a young boy. Villa was a friend of the Rodríguez family. Villa was a cattle dealer at a Chihuahua slaughterhouse and often visited the grocery store Rodríguez Carrasco worked at. Villa would often lend Rodríguez Carrasco his horse for recreational rides as well as attended

cockfights A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a " game", a sport, pastime or ent ...

together. Rodríguez Carrasco had many brothers who supported his paramilitary endeavors, notably José, Joaquín, and Manuel. NRCportrait

Mexican Revolution

Rodríguez Carrasco joined the ranks of Pancho Villa in the División del Norte when the Mexican Revolution broke out. He eventually reached the rank of brigadier general. During the

Convention of Aguascalientes The Convention of Aguascalientes was a major meeting that took place during the Mexican Revolution between the factions in the Mexican Revolution that had defeated Victoriano Huerta's Federal Army and forced his resignation and exile in July 1914 ...

, Rodríguez Carrasco had a violent altercation with Villa. To avoid execution, he joined the

Carrancistas This is a list of factions in the Mexican Revolution. Carrancistas Revolutionary followers of Venustiano Carranza from 1913 to 1914, and thereafter the Government army from 1914 until his death in 1920. In 1915, an insurgent group known as th ...

where he stayed until his desertion in 1918.

Early rebellions and first exile

In 1923, Rodríguez Carrasco took part in the failed coup d'etat led by Enrique Estrada known as the Delahuertista Rebellion. For his part in the plot, he was exiled to El Paso, Texas in 1924. Rodríguez Carrasco spent a couple years doing odd jobs, all the while conspiring against the Mexican government. In 1926, he moved to Los Angeles where Enrique Estrada had once again been plotting a take over of Baja California. Headed by Estrada, a group of former Mexican generals, including Rodríguez Carrasco, would attempt to overthrow governor Abelardo L. Rodríguez and spark a national rebellion against Plutarco Elías Calles. The preparation of the plot caught the attention of

Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

. On August 15, when Estrada's caravans approached San Diego, federal agents thwarted the plot arresting 150 people including Rodríguez Carrasco. He was found guilty in February of 1927 and spent 1 year, 1 month, and 1 day at

McNeil Island Corrections Center The McNeil Island Corrections Center (MICC) was a prison in the Pacific Northwest, northwest United States, operated by the Washington State Department of Corrections. It was on McNeil Island in Puget Sound in unincorporated area, unincorporated ...

. Following his release from prison in March 1928, he once again relocated to Los Angeles and became an editor for ''El Informador''. He held this position for a short time before moving back to Mexico.

Return to Mexico

Rodríguez Carrasco returned to Chihuahua on the recommendation of fellow general Rodrigo M. Quevedo to the governor of Chihuahua. Quevedo attempted to create a Revolutionary Fair in

Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( ; ''Juarez City''. ) is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is commonly referred to as Juárez and was known as El Paso del Norte (''The Pass of the North'') until 1888. Juárez is the seat of the Ju� ...

commemorating the Mexican Revolution. Many revolutionary figures and militants were contacted, including Rodríguez Carrasco, however the fair never came into fruition. He managed to receive about 20,000

pesos The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named "dollar" ...

through political donations as a result of the fair perpetrations. Rodriguez-park

In 1929, Rodríguez Carrasco once again took part in a rebellion against the Mexican government headed by

José Gonzalo Escobar General Don José Gonzalo Escobar (1892–1969) was an officer in the Mexican Army and leader of the failed Escobar Rebellion in 1929, which challenged the political power of Plutarco Elías Calles . Military career Escobar was born in Mazatlán ...

known as the

Escobar Rebellion The Escobar Rebellion was a conflict in northern Mexico in 1929 during the Maximato, between the government forces of President Emilio Portes Gil and rebel forces under the command of General José Gonzalo Escobar. After some initial success in ta ...

. During 1928 and 1929, Rodríguez Carrasco campaigned for José Vasconcelos's presidential bid for the 1929 Mexican presidential election. The election was rigged against Vasconcelos's favor and subsequently unsuccessfully attempted to garner military support to overthrow the government. Sometime after 1929, Rodríguez Carrasco was a strikebreaker under the protection of Calles. In 1931 Rodríguez Carrasco joined a far-right and

sinophobic Anti-Chinese sentiment, also known as Sinophobia, is a fear or dislike of China, Chinese people or Chinese culture. It often targets Chinese minorities living outside of China and involves immigration, development of national identity in ...

organization called the Pro-race Committee. In 1932, Rodríguez Carrasco formed the ''Camisetas Verdes'', a paramilitary group which was characterized as

anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...

, anti-union, and ultranationalist. At gatherings, members would chant "Mexico for Mexicans". The group actively antagonized strikers and targeted Chinese-owned businesses. The organization was protected and support of Plutarco Elías Calles. The group was disbanded by Abelardo Rodríguez shortly after taking power in September of 1932.

Revolutionary Mexicanist Action

Foundation

Rodríguez Carrasco, along with various other ex-military veterans, founded the paramilitary group Revolutionary Mexicanist Action ( es, Acción Revolucionaria Mexicanista), also known as the Gold Shirts ( es, Camisas Doradas) or A.R.M. on September 25, 1933. The organization mainly consisted of many former generals and soldiers who fought under Pancho Villa. The group was protected and supported by Calles like Rodríguez Carrasco's previous organization. The organization called to expel the Jews and Chinese from Mexico in "defense of national interests". In 1934, he was given the title of ''Supreme Chief of the Gold Shirts''.

1935 Revolution Day Riot

Tensions between Calles and president

Lázaro Cárdenas Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (; 21 May 1895 – 19 October 1970) was a Mexican army officer and politician who served as president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940. Born in Jiquilpan, Michoacán, to a working-class family, Cárdenas joined the M ...

rose with the latter increasing the suppression efforts of the Gold Shirts. On November 20, 1935 a violent clash between communists and the Gold Shirts during the Revolution Day parade at the Zócalo resulted in 3 deaths and more than 40 injuries of which included Rodríguez Carrasco. Rodríguez Carrasco was stabbed twice in the abdomen and left critically injured. The incident sparked nation-wide public outrage against the Revolutionary Mexicanist Actiontion. The

Mexican senate The Senate of the Republic, ( es, Senado de la República) constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union ( es, Cámara de Senadores del H. Congreso de la Unión), is the upper house of Mexico's bicameral Congres ...

sought to ban the organization a day after the riots. Public protests were held against the group and their

union busting Union busting is a range of activities undertaken to disrupt or prevent the formation of trade unions or their attempts to grow their membership in a workplace. Union busting tactics can refer to both legal and illegal activities, and can range ...

activities with President Cárdenas receiving an overwhelming amount of requests to have the organization banned.

Second exile

On February 27, 1936, Cárdenas ordered the dissolution of the group. On August 11, Rodríguez Carrasco was arrested and set to be expelled from the country. He was arrested in Pachuca where was driven to an airport and flown to Cuidad Juarez then to El Paso, Texas. Following his exile, he was considered a non-threat by the Mexican government. Throughout his time in exile, Rodríguez Carrasco continued to draft various manifestos against the Mexican government, Jews, communists, and President Cárdenas in ''The McAllen Monitor''. Rodríguez Carrasco moved to Laredo, Texas with his wife, Leonor Gutiérrez. Shortly thereafter, he met young woman named Emilia Herron who belonged to a very wealthy family El Paso. They developed an affair and Rodríguez Carrasco divorced Gutiérrez. Rodríguez Carrasco contacted immigration services to have Gutiérrez deported back to Mexico. A distraught Gutiérrez brought with her a great volume of documents containing sensitive information about the Revolutionary Mexicanist Action. She notified the police of Mexico City of Rodríguez Carrasco's activities. She made many public declarations regarding the organization's activities against the government and named many public figures who supported the paramilitary group. This caused serious internal conflicts within the organization where some members of the group stopped supporting Rodríguez Carrasco.

Rebellion plot

Since at least 1935, the organization had been plotting a rebellion against the government. Carlos Walterio Steinman, a former colonel in the Mexican Army living in New York, told Rodríguez Carrasco he had raised over 4 million dollars to help in a "change of government" in a letter dated July 3, 1935. Rodríguez Carrasco established a Revolutionary Mexicanist Action headquarters in Mission, Texas. Rodríguez Carrasco approached wealthy Texan oilmen whose assets in Mexico were negatively affected by worker strikes and government policies for funds. Other donors he personally received funds from included Reverend P.L. Delgado, William H. Wood, and a wealthy farmer only known as Smithers. He also received funds to purchase armament from his very close friend and former governor of

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...

Saturnino Cedillo Saturnino Cedillo Martínez (November 29, 1890 in Ciudad del Maíz, San Luis Potosí - January 11, 1939 in Sierra Ventana, San Luis Potosí) was a Mexican politician who participated in the Mexican Revolution and the Cristero War. He was governor ...

. Cedillo, by 1937, had grievances with Cárdenas and alleged ties to German Nazis. Cedillo also had several private meetings with members of the Revolutionary Mexicanist Action. By March of 1937, Rodríguez Carrasco was receiving $2000 to $3000 a month in donations from American and Mexican nationals alike for the Revolutionary Mexicanist Action. The money was given to contacts that would regularly travel from Brownsville and Nogales. Rodríguez Carrasco also met with Henry Allen in 1937. Allen was the head of an anti-Semitic fascist group known as the Silver Battalion. Allen offered Rodríguez Carrasco protection and both directly received funds from the Nazi Party.

1938 November Rebellion

The Mexican Government had received various reports on Rodríguez Carrasco's plot and purchases of weapons. On November 13, 1938, the rebellion was launched in Tamaulipas where troops had been already dispatched at the request of Tamaulipas governor Marte R. Gómez. Historian Alicia Gojman de Backal opined that the rebellions largely failed in part of Rodríguez Carrasco's inability to attract a large number of followers as his movement fundamentally did not appeal to the masses. As nationalization of the oil industry proved to be beneficial and popular to the majority of the population, very few, especially people of the lower and middle class, opposed it.

Illness and death

Sometime between late 1939 and early 1940, Rodríguez Carrasco developed

aplastic anemia Aplastic anemia is a cancer in which the body fails to make blood cells in sufficient numbers. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow by stem cells that reside there. Aplastic anemia causes a deficiency of all blood cell types: red blood ...

. In February 1940, an informant to the Mexican government with close contact with Rodríguez Carrasco reported he had contracted typhoid fever and traveled to a sanatorium in Chicago. The informant also claimed Rodríguez Carrasco at this time had become difficult to recognize citing significant weight loss and newfound usage of glasses. No longer politically motivated, Rodríguez Carrasco requested a pardon from Cárdenas to be allowed to return to Mexico, citing his terminal illness. He was granted amnesty and moved into his mother's house on the 5th of August. He died 6 days later on August 11 from his illness.

Personal life

Rodríguez Carrasco was married to Leonor Gutiérrez who was head of the women's Revolutionary Mexicanist Action faction. The couple divorced in 1937 following an affair Rodríguez Carrasco had while in exile. Rodríguez Carrasco had many siblings. A few of his brothers were members of the Revolutionary Mexicanist Action, notably: José, Joaquín, and Manuel.

Beliefs

Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco's anti-Semitic and anti-communist sentiments were greatly influenced by Arthur Dietrich.

Historical disputes

Parents

The names of Rodríguez Carrasco's parents officially remain unknown. The name of his father was possibly Trinidad Rodríguez, originally hailing from

Huejotitán Huejotitán is a village and seat of the municipality of Huejotitán, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihua ...

, Chihuahua. His mother is thought to have been named Guadalupe.

Age

Despite historians' best search efforts, Rodríguez Carrasco's birth certificate has not been found. His year of birth is estimated to be 1890; it is thought he was aged 44 when he assumed leadership of the Revolutionary Mexicanist Action in 1934.

Death

There are many conflicting reports on the location of death of Rodríguez Carrasco. Following his death, different news sources stated he had died in Mission or El Paso, Texas. Other sources stated he had died in his mother's house with the location reported to be in Chihuahua City, Reynosa, and

. The historical consensus is Rodríguez Carrasco had in fact died in his mother's house in northern Mexico. All sources report his death occurred on August 11.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez Carrasco, Nicolas Mexican fascists Mexican anti-communists Mexican atheists Mexican exiles Mexican secularists Antisemitism in Mexico Discrimination in Mexico Racism in Mexico Mexican generals People from Chihuahua City People of the Mexican Revolution Deaths from anemia 1890 births 1940 deaths