los mil y un cuentos

Translation of an Excelsior article from April 24, 1949

Once upon a time, there was Abdullah M Ravdjee, the Grand Visir of Aga Khan. One day, the Grand Visir arrived in Mexico. Inside his luggage he had a bottle of magic pills, a poisonous cobra and a wonderful collection of Hindu ties bought in the biggest market in Pakistan. At one of the suites of the Hotel Del Prado, a Turkish bath, a private detective, a refrigerator filled with bottles of Champagne, and a half a dozen platinum blondes were all brought to the disposition of the Grand Visir… Again, once upon a time, there was Abdallah M Ravdjee, the Grand Visir of Aga Khan. At first, the people thought it was an ad for a new insecticide!

Soon, however, it came to be that the Grand Visir was just exactly who Abdullah said he was. So much so that the small local visirs decided to put turbans on their heads and under the guidance of Manuel Abdullah Choza Canedo, organised a nocturnal ?girl hunt? of which Armando Araujo, the Totonac Visir, said exclusively told the press that ... ?Abdallah M Ravdjee is indeed the Grand Visir of Agha Khan. Why then, am I the one that has to provide 6,000pesos worth of pills and Chivas Regal?

Everything was going fine until one day at the home of Manuel Abdullah Choza Canedo, the Grand Visir made a toast ?to the President of Mexico City.? In revenge, Choza Canedo made a toast to Rafael de la Colina and Araujo made a toast to Rita Hayworth. Then, tired of running around through the dark halls of Canedo’s home, every single ?visir? (using Armando Araujo’s chequebook, mind!) went to the Reforma Casablanca of Acapulco.

There the Grand Visir pronounced… ?only in Bombay have I seen such beautiful women? and to prove his point, and in front of all the confused local ?visirs?, went to the first blonde lady that he met in the Casablanca and offered her 14.5 kilos of diamonds from the Agha Khan’s own storeroom for one of her songs!

Abdullah’s friends looked at each other straight in the eyes and concluded that ?the Grand Visir has just put his foot in his mouth. That blonde lady wasn’t just any blonde lady.? Just then, a mysterious individual came to the Reforma Casablanca asking, ?Which of you is the Grand Visir?!?

Araujo instantly hid himself under the table and Choza Canedo took off his turban and threw it in the ocean. Abdullah went up to the mysterious man and said, ?I am the Grand Visir of Agha Khan. I come from Bombay. I’m on my way to Pakistan! What can I do for you??

Minutes later, the mysterious man took the Grand Visir by the neck and tore to pieces one of his ties from his great collection that he’d gotten from the central market in Pakistan. The Visir was astounded and so was Armando Araujo and the other men under the table ? they just could not believe their eyes!

Indignantly Abdallah yelled, ?Whosoever touches the Visir touches the Agha Khan; he who touches the Agha Khan touches Allah; whosoever touches Allah has his days counted!? Seconds later, under the stupefied eyes of two hundred tourists that were witnessing the unusual spectacle, yet another person, dressed as Juan Charresquedo, appeared at the scene and asked, ?Who of all of you is the Grand Visir??

Without a tie, without magic pills, without a poisonous cobra, as well as without diamonds, and having been the master of the city, Abdallah answered, ?I am the Grand Visir of the Agha Khan. Whosoever touches the Visir touches the Agha Khan; he who touches the Agha Khan touches Allah?... For each one of these answers, 5 gunshots were heard. What a mess!

The Grand Visir, whose life was miraculously saved, was screaming with all his might, ?An airplane, give me an airplane! I want to leave this monkey island!? Araujo, from his anti-aircraft shelter, kept reciting a poem from Kipling (?If you could destroy your life without saying a word,? etc.). Choza Canedo was yelling, ?What will Rafael de la Colina say when he finds out that after Doria Paz gave him the keys to the city, the Grand Visir was gunned down in Acapulco for offering 14.5 kilos of diamonds to a blonde??

The Grand Visir’s private detective was calling Bombay’s own police force by phone saying, ?Excessive ingestion of Hindu pills, nearly take the life of the Grand Visir?; A.C. Blumenthal was hurriedly obtaining a private airplane in which Abdallah could escape the Monkey Island. He kept talking and explaining to whoever was around, ?I, Abdallah M. Ravdjee, Grand Visir of Agha Khan, swear by Allah, Abdullah, Neguib Simon and Rita Hayworth, never to come back to Mexico, where my royal blood is worth nothing!?

His aggressors, guns in hand, were yelling at him ?this is not a harem, son of Allah!? While the visir said, ?Thank heaven Rita Hayworth does not have Mexican relatives, otherwise, poor Ali.? Thanks to Blumy’s quickness, the Grand Visir was able to escape by airplane all the way to New York City where to this date, he is still getting over the frightening experience that could have cost him his life. Thanks to our diplomats, the incident that could have ended in War between Mexico and Pakistan, had a favourable end for the prestige of the Grand Visir and the women of our men! And this, dear readers, what seems to be nothing but a tale, happened just last week, word by word!!

Abraham Araujo

The government of Abraham Araujo took place during very difficult times. The Cristos War was at its peak and practically the entire country was armed. There was a law in Mexico at that time limiting the number of priests to one per eight thousand residents and further placed them under the jurisdiction of local governments.

In protest, the Archbishop of Mexico wrote a pastoral letter suspending religious services and leaving the church in the people’s care. The Catholic population then mounted an economic boycott against the government, which in turn caused persecution of the priests who conducted religious services without official sanction.

The previous Governor of Queretaro had hoped to name his own successor but Abraham Araujo attacked the Governor’s Palace the next day. The then Governor Constantino Llaca Nieto was out of the city during the storming of the Palace and did not return. Abraham Araujo was then named to take his place on the first of October, 1927.

Abraham AraujoGovernor Araujo received orders from Mexico City to take all the priests prisoners as well as their followers who had hidden and protected them during the persecution. The central government was afraid that had they not taken this extreme action, the priests and their followers might unite and support the Christian forces. Governor Araujo refused to arrest the priests and their followers but gave them 15 days to leave the city. This action allowed him to gain the approval of the people.

There was, at this time, a movement to remove Governor Araujo from office but it soon failed due to the terrible turmoil in Mexico at the time. Two presidents had already been assassinated and it was difficult for Governor Araujo to carry out his plans for Queretaro.

[missing bit: En Julio de 1928 sobrevino el asesinato del presidente electo Alvaro Obregon. Aunque el asesino hab?a sido jose de leon toral, se juzg? como autora intelectual del crimen al la madre conchita, abadesa cuyo nombre era conceptcion acevedo y de la llata. Como era oriunda de queretaro y pertenec?a a una familia distinguida, cuando se le conden? a 20 a?os de c?rcel los queretanos se sintieron sumamente conmocionados y la situaci?n se volvi? cr?tica.

translation: In July 1928, the President-Elect, Alvaro Obregon was unexpectedly assasinated. Although the murderer had been Jose de Leon Toral, the intellectual author of the crime was considered to be the Catholic nun known as Conchita, the Abbess Concepci?n Acevedo y de la Llata. As she was a native of Queretaro and belonged to a distinguished family, when she was condemned to 20 years in jail the Queretanos were extremely shaken and the situation received public criticism. ]

Governor Araujo was, however, able to establish some measures that greatly benefited the people of Queretaro. He established an oversight and audit department to ensure that state funds were being properly distributed and not misused. He further created a State Department of Health to ensure that the health of the people of Queretaro. He further placed his full support and encouragement in the publication of scholarly newspapers and also built the first school to train technicians, accountants and other public employees.

He also made valiant efforts to improve tourism.

Despite these gains, Governor Araujo was keenly aware that his enemies were plotting his downfall. The then opposition leader, Portes Gil, disliked him. In 1929 Governor Araujo was accused of mishandling public funds. Governor Araujo was overthrown on June 25th 1929 and replaced by B. Jose Alcacer. Three hours later Alcacer gave up the office to Angel Mellado.

Abraham Araujo left his birthplace of Queretaro to live in Mexico City. He later returned to Queretaro in 1935 to head up the office of Economic Affairs.

history lessons

Found an article about my great grandfather that I will need to translate… this is a temporary posting so it’s all in one place while I work on it.

From La Jornada.

Jueves 14 de abril de 2005

Octavio Rodr?guez Araujo
Los desafueros y los votos del poder

Los hechos recientes y el intento de golpe de Estado (t?cnico y todav?a en proceso) al jefe de Gobierno del Distrito Federal me hicieron recordar sucesos antiguos. Hace muchos a?os, cuando era ni?o, mi abuelo materno me dijo algo que s?lo de adulto comenc? a entender: que la pol?tica era sucia, y me cont? lo que a ?l le ocurri? en 1929.

Por ese recuerdo fue que nunca me dediqu? a la pol?tica, pero s? a estudiarla, y como la pol?tica ocurre lejos de mi casa no tengo temor a contaminarme, pero, debo confesar, a veces me provoca n?useas. Lo que le han hecho a L?pez Obrador no es muy diferente de lo que le hicieron a mi abuelo, como explicar? m?s adelante.

En mi art?culo de la semana pasada (“Maximato bis”) me refer? al grupo que se ha apoderado de M?xico con Salinas de Gortari como Jefe M?ximo, emulando a Plutarco El?as Calles (de aqu? el t?tulo de mi anterior art?culo). En los a?os 20 del siglo pasado, despu?s del golpe de Estado a Venustiano Carranza, un grupo se apoder? de M?xico. El jefe de ese grupo era Alvaro Obreg?n, pero cuando ?ste fue asesinado despu?s de su relecci?n, qued? Calles como Jefe M?ximo. De ?ste dependieron tres presidentes: un interino (llamado entonces provisional), un segundo electo, que renunciar?a antes de terminar su mandato, y un sustituto que terminar?a el periodo de gobierno. L?zaro C?rdenas hubiera sido el cuarto en los planes de Calles, pero C?rdenas resolvi? que ser?a presidente y no un t?tere m?s del Jefe M?ximo. Con C?rdenas se acab? el Maximato y Calles fue exiliado.

Mi abuelo, Abraham Araujo, era gobernador constitucional de Quer?taro (1/10/27-25/6/29) y era obregonista. A ?l le toc? la fundaci?n del Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR), misma que tuvo lugar en el Teatro de la Rep?blica de la ciudad de Quer?taro del 1? al 4 de marzo de 1929. Hab?a una crisis seria en el pa?s. La guerra cristera, por un lado, estaba llegando a su fin, pero en esos momentos todav?a era una realidad. Se especulaba que algunos obregonistas amenazaban con levantarse en armas, pues se mencionaba a Calles como autor intelectual del asesinato de Obreg?n. El 3 de marzo de ese a?o los generales Escobar, Manzo y Aguirre se levantaron en armas. El candidato obregonista a la presidencia que saldr?a de la convenci?n fundacional del PNR era Aar?n S?enz, pero en el ?ltimo momento fue “elegido por aclamaci?n” Pascual Ortiz Rubio, despu?s de que se les neg? acreditaci?n a casi todos los delegados obregonistas. Calles era tambi?n el jefe real del nuevo partido.

Emilio Portes Gil, alias el manchado, que como gobernador de Tamaulipas hab?a sido obregonista, muerto el caudillo se volvi? callista. Como tal fue designado presidente provisional por la C?mara de Diputados dominada por Calles. Cuando Portes Gil estuvo en Quer?taro en febrero de 1929 le molest? que mi abuelo defendiera la libertad de expresi?n en la prensa y que en un peri?dico se mencionara a Le?n Toral elogiosamente. Abraham Araujo, quien ten?a el buen gusto de no ser religioso, sab?a que gobernaba un estado muy cat?lico donde los grupos cristeros no eran un invento. Y aunque ?l manifestara su oposici?n a los cristeros, a Portes Gil le pareci? que no era suficiente. Ese fue, al menos, el pretexto para impulsar un golpe de Estado por la v?a del desafuero para poner en su lugar a su concu?o, Angel V?zquez Mellado. La C?mara local, compuesta por diputados lamesuelas, como ha habido y hay muchos, obedeci? las ?rdenes del presidente de la Rep?blica y design? a Jos? B. Alcocer gobernador interino y ?ste, tres horas despu?s, entreg? el poder a V?zquez Mellado. Mi abuelo tuvo que enviar a mi madre y sus hermanos a Estados Unidos, pues su casa y su autom?vil fueron ametrallados varias veces. El se fue al Distrito Federal, donde enfrent? las consecuencias y vivi? con austeridad obligada. S?lo regres? a Quer?taro, por poco tiempo, cuando Ram?n Rodr?guez Familiar, gobernador apoyado por el presidente L?zaro C?rdenas, lo invit? a encargarse de la econom?a del estado. Rodr?guez Familiar fue gobernador de octubre de 1935 a octubre de 1939. Los gobernadores entonces duraban en su cargo cuatro a?os.

Como puede verse, la analog?a, que en historia no explica nada (he de insistir), es pertinente. Nada nuevo se ha inventado. El desafuero a L?pez Obrador obedece a los mismos prop?sitos. Los diputados que lo desaforaron, como aquellos de 1929 contra mi abuelo, son iguales: se agachan a la menor presi?n. La ?nica diferencia es que antes le costaban mucho menos a la naci?n.

Ten?a raz?n mi abuelo, la pol?tica es sucia, y quienes han orientado sus votos por la presi?n del poder no tendr?n mucho de qu? vanagloriarse, se les ve sucios y nada ni nadie los limpiar?. As? como yo recuerdo y expongo lo ocurrido hace 76 a?os, dentro de igual n?mero de a?os se recordar? lo que ahora se est? haciendo contra un jefe de Gobierno electo democr?ticamente.

Cont?ctenos | Aviso legal | Publicidad | Suscripciones

? Derechos Reservados 1996-2005 DEMOS, Desarrollo de Medios, S.A. de C.V.
Todos los Derechos Reservados.
Derechos de Autor 04-2005-011817321500-203.

First English draft…

The violations and votes of power

The recent facts and the attempted coup d’etat (technically still in progress) of the head of Government of the Federal District brought to mind old events.  Many years ago, when I was young, my maternal grandfather said something that I have only really understood as an adult:  “politics is dirty” and he related what happened to him in 1929.

As a result, I determined never to participate in politics, but rather to study it. Since politics is therefore somewhat removed from me, I do not have to fear contamination, but, I must confess, sometimes it nauseates me.  What they did to Lopez Obrador is not very different from what was done to my grandfather, as I will explain below.

In my article of last week (“Maximato bis”) I talked about the group that has seized Mexico with Salinas de Gortari as Jefe M?ximo, emulating Plutarco El?as Calles (hence the title of my previous article).  In the 20 years of the last century, after the coup d’etat of Venustiano Carranza, the group that held Mexico.  The head of that group was Alvaro Obreg?n, but when he was assassinated after his re-election, it was Calles who took the role of Jefe M?ximo.  On him three presidents depended:  a temporary one (called a provisional), a second elect, who would resign before finishing his mandate, and a substitute that would complete the period of government.  L?zaro C?rdenas had been a part of Calles’ plan, but C?rdenas resolved that he would be president and no longer a puppet of the Maximato.  With C?rdenas the Maximato was ended and Calles was exiled.

My grandfather, Abraham Araujo, was the constitutional governor of Quer?taro (1/10/27-25/6/29) and an Obregonista.  He had a hand in the foundation of Mexicos’s National Revolutionary Party (PNR), that took place in the Theater of the Republic in the city of Quer?taro on the first to the fourth of March, 1929.  There was a serious crisis in the country.  The Cristos war was coming to an end, but at that time, there were still remnants of the conflict.  He speculated to me that some Oobregonistas were threatening to take up arms, because it was suggested tha Calles was the intellectual author of Obreg?n’s assasination.  On the third of March of that year, the generals Escobar, Manzo and Aguirre rose up.  The Obregonista candidate to the presidency who agreed to adopt the original convention of the PNR was Aaron S?enz, but at the last moment Pascual Ortiz Rubio “was chosen by aclamation”, even though nearly all of the Obregonista delegates had refused to confirm him.  Calles was the real leader of the party.

Emilio Portes Gil, who had been an Obregonista when governor of Tamaulipas, killed the leader and became a chiropodist (?).  As so provisional president by the House of Representatives were designated dominated by Calles.  When Portes Gil was in Quer?taro in February of 1929 bothered to him that my grandfathers defended the freedom of expression in the press and that in a newspaper was mentioned elogiosamente to Leon Toral.  Abraham Araujo, who had the good sense not to be religious, knew that he governed a very Catholic state where the cristeros groups were not an invention.  And although he showed his opposition to the cristeros, to Portes Gil it was not enough.  There was, then, the pretext to impel a coup d’etat by the route of the violation to put in its place to his concu?o, Angel V?zquez Mellado.  The local Camera, composed by deputies lamesuelas, since there have been and there are many, obeyed the orders of the president of the Republic and designated to Jose B. temporary governing Alcocer and this one, three hours later, gave the power to V?zquez Mellado.  My grandfather had to send my mother and her brothers to the United States, because their house and automobile were machine-gunned several times.  Araujo himself went to Mexico City where he faced the consequences and lived in forced austerity.  He only returned to Quer?taro when Ram?n Rodr?guez Familiar, governing under by president L?zaro C?rdenas, was invited to become director of finance.  Rodr?guez Familiar was governor from October of 1935 to October of 1939.  At that time, governors lasted in their position four years.

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