Porfirio Díaz: the day the former president was attacked by a man in the middle of Mexico's independence celebration

During the term of office of former president and dictator Porfirio Díaz Mori, it was documented that there were many injustices against the people, as the president and his collaborators sought the good of the class rather than that of the popular class. This caused people to become tired, and to take action on their own, the clearest example of this was the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution, which began on November 20, 1910.

However, some cases were also previously documented that demonstrated people's discontent with the government in turn. One of these was demonstrated on September 16, 1897, in the streets of Mexico City, when then-President Porfirio Díaz was attacked by a man, in full celebrations of the anniversary of Mexico's independence.

The attack did not go beyond a blow to the president, however, the actions of the authorities showed the extrajudicial state that was being applied by the porfirista regime.

As part of the Independence Day celebrations, President Porfirio Díaz had to go, along with his entourage, to the Alameda Central, where a remembrance of the heroes of the homeland would take place. In the midst of a crowd made up of various social classes, from the most affluent, to the people forgotten by the regime, Diaz made his way through the human fence formed by the cadets of the Military College.

Suddenly, one person managed to evade the military encirclement. It was Arnulfo Arroyo, who threw his fist directly at the head of the president. Díaz was unable to avoid the blow, which immediately caused several people accompanying him to throw themselves at the aggressor to stop him. Brigadier Ángel Ortiz Monasterio even smashed his staff on the suspect's head.

The situation became increasingly harsh for Arnulfo Arroyo, who was constantly being beaten and insulted. The atmosphere had to be calmed down by Díaz himself, who after recovering, ordered to stop all attacks against his aggressor and proceed immediately to his transfer to be presented to the appropriate authorities.

However, from that moment on, a series of irregularities began, since the officers did not know at which instance to proceed for their assurance, and to initiate the corresponding proceedings, whether military or civilian. The Inspector General of the Police, named Eduardo Velázquez, along with an insignificant number of gendarmes, decided to transfer Arnulfo Arroyo to a cell in the City Hall Palace in Mexico City. This happened, despite acknowledging the danger to the suspect. During the assurance, Arnulfo was tied up, gagged and, possibly, threatened by Velázquez himself.

The only interrogation that could be collected was conducted by Colonel Generoso Guerrero, 4th Judge of Military Instruction, who identified that Arroyo was a single man, 30 years old, originally from Tlalnepantla and a law intern. He also collected information from the declarant on the motives that led him to attack Diaz, which were that he had ideas that were entirely contrary to the system of government he was carrying out, since he was looking for another form of government. He also talked about the misery he was in, that he was desperate.

Once Arroyo's first statement was obtained, Colonel Generoso Guerrero withdrew from the scene without any diligence in transferring the suspect to a safer place or guaranteeing his integrity. That night, when the fireworks began, Inspector Velázquez, after celebrating and drinking, showed the detainee to his guests. Around ten o'clock in the evening Inspector Velázquez met two of his main collaborators: Major Manuel Bellido and policeman Antonio Villavicencio. Together they agreed to assassinate Arroyo and make him go through a lynching. In the early morning of September 17, a group of minions nicknamed los tigers, all gendarmes from the office of the 2nd Police Inspectorate, were led by Villavicencio to storm the cell where Arnulfo Arroyo was, who was cruelly murdered.

After the incident, the police began arbitrarily arresting all the curious people who had approached, as some officers had made some detonations to encourage the bustle. About 20 innocents, including children, young people and adults, were arrested as suspects in Arnulfo's lynching, while the main masterminds were celebrating at a dinner party.

The next day, the main newspapers released the official version, where the people were accused of murder, However, this left the authorities incompetent, not preventing a lynching inside the Municipal Palace. After this, the Porfirista State was not willing to have a weak image before the people, so Inspector Velázquez, along with his other accomplices, was dismissed and arrested for the heinous murder.

Velázquez ended up committing suicide in his cell, with a revolver that entered clandestinely. His other accomplices were sentenced to capital punishment, but it was revoked by a maximum sentence, which was soon forgotten. Arroyo's murderers managed to secure their freedom, and some were even reinstated into Mexico City's police system. This was the case of Antonio Villavicencio who became one of the main executing instruments of the porfirista State.

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