IN MEMORIAM

Heberto Castillo CONSTRUCTOR OF IDEALS 1928-1997

causes and an irreplaceable creator of ticipation alongside the students in utopias, a builder of ideals. 1968 as a leader of the Coalition of Heberto Castillo Martínez was a High School and University Teachers, man of achievement and conviction. he was jailed for over three years in His death last April 5 at the age of 68 the infamous Lecumberri prison. inevitably creates a void in Mexican Stubborn, and sometimes even ob- politics. But he also left behind him stinate, in the defense of his ideas—the an example: Heberto will always be fight for democracy and social justice remembered —and hopefully emu- in — he was never dogmatic. lated— for his integrity and adherence He dedicated a great part of his life to to his ideals. what he believed was a profoundly The political biography ofHeber- creative activity, politics. In the 1960s to —as he was affectionately known he founded the National Liberation by his friends, the people of Mexico, Movement (MLN) together with im- his comrades and even his political portant political figures like former adversaries— a man of the left, is a President Lázaro Cárdenas, great intel- winding road, with its ups and downs lectuals and writers such as Octavio and successes and failures, but the Paz and Carlos Fuentes, and old left- ist leaders like railroad worker Deme- here are men who fight whole way is characterized by his clar- for one day and they are ity, perseverance and, aboye all, his trio Vallejo. The aim: under the influ- necessary; there are men loyalty to his ideals. ence of the Cuban Revolution, to take who fight for a year, and From the time he was a young man, Mexico forward toward a socialist form T Castillo participated in social strug- of government. they are even more necessary; and While in jail alter 1968, he devel- then, there are men who fight for a gles. He actively supported the 1959 oped the idea of creating a new polit- lifetime. They are indispensable. He- railroad workers struggle, the 1965 ical party; when he was relased, he berto Castillo belonged to this last ca- national doctors movement and the founded the Mexican Workers Party tegory, an untiring fighter for just 1968 student movement. For his par-

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cation Commission (cocoPA) aimed speeches in Congress will go down in Always energetic, at achieving peace with dignity and history. Perhaps the most outstand- justice in Chiapas. Always energetic, ing of these were his speeches during he worked untiringly he worked untiringly for peace, the José López Portillo administra- yielding neither to threats nor politi- don, brilliantly criticizing the execu- for peace, cal pressure. Some ofhis ideas were tive policy then called in political cir- widely known and roundly criticized, des the "petroleumization" of the yielding neither particularly by the more Jacobin sec- economy. tors of the left, like for example, his to threats Time proved Castillo right in critical opinion of some of the nega- that case and on many other national tive aspects of the Cuban Revolution, political issues, particularly because nor political or his efforts to lead the left down a the seasoned politician and fighter more democratic road, leaving behind always sought creative solutions for pressure. the Leninist principies ofclass struggle the grave problems the country faced. and the dictatorship of the proletariat. A builder of utopias, journalism Heberto Castillo was an engineer was also one ofhis passions, which he by profession, an innovative scientist engaged in with the same fervor he (PMT), under whose banner a decade and audacious technician. He had an brought to all his endeavors. He left later he was elected to the Chamber intense professional career in civil behind him a myriad of magazine and of Deputies. Later, he played a major engineering. He was famous as the newspaper articles, particularly out- role in the founding of the Mexican inventor of the tridilosa, a system for standing among which are his con- Socialist Party (PMs), which merged rationally distributing materials in tributions to the daily El several different left-leaning parties, concrete constructions, saving on costs Universal and the weekly magazine and for which he was the presidential without skimping on materials. Using Proceso. candidate at the beginning of the this technique, he helped build nu- In many ways, his death was pre- 1988 electoral campaign. However, merous bridges and highways around mature, not because of his age, but he resigned his candidacy in favor of the country, as well as the landmark because it carne at a time when the that of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, who Pemex Tower. Heberto followed this country is moving toward greater de- was backed by the PMS, the Popular same logic ofrationalization and dis- mocracy, without authoritarianism, Socialist Party (PPs), the Party of the tribution of resources in his political unrestricted to a single party, toward Cardenista Front for National Re- life. an ideal that Castillo had dedicated his construction (PFCRN) and the Authen- A visionary, he always acted not life to. It was also premature because if tic Party of the Mexican Revolution only prudently, but also judiciously anyone should have enjoyed the con- (PARm), all grouped in a coalition called and tolerantly. To him, democracy solidation ofdemocracy in our coun- the National Democratic Front (FDN). meant aboye all dialogue. Perhaps this try it was precisely Heberto Castillo. Out of that movement carne the is the key to the fact that, in the sec- As his daughter, Laura hiel Cas- Party of the Democratic Revolution ond half of the twentieth century, He- tillo, today a leader of the PRD, has said, (PRD), ofwhich Heberto was a found- berto Castillo was one of Mexico's "Some men are not buried. Some er. Under the aegis of the PRD, he was most revered politicians, respected by men are sown like seeds on the land." elected to the Senate, retaining his both his own colleagues and his po- seat until his death. litical opponents. A dedicated fighter for peace, he A man ofaction, he was also a man Diego 1. Bugeda formed part of the Senate's Pacifi- of ideas. His passionate, convincing Managing Editor

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