Revolutionary Mexicanist Action Acción Revolucionaria Mexicanista | |
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Abbreviation | ARM |
Leader | Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco |
Founded | 10 March 1934[1] |
Banned | February 27, 1936 |
Women's wing | Acción Femenil Nacionalista Mexicana |
Membership (1936) | ~60,000 |
Ideology | Ultranationalism Fascism Secularism Anti-communism Antisemitism Anti-democracy Xenophobia Sinophobia |
Political position | Far-right |
Colors | Gold |
Slogan | Mexico for Mexicans |
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The Revolutionary Mexicanist Action (Spanish: Acción Revolucionaria Mexicanista), better known as the Gold Shirts (Camisas Doradas), was a Mexican fascist, secular, anti-Semitic, anti-Chinese, anti-communist, ultra-nationalist paramilitary organization, originated in March 10, 1934 in Mexico City and operated until disbanded in 1936. With ultra-nationalist, strikebreaking roots and Nazi German support, the organization sought to expel Chinese, Jews, and communists from Mexico. The organization often violently engaged with labor movements associated with the Mexican Communist Party and with labor strikers.[1][2][3][4][5]
Its members were known as the Gold Shirts due to most of them being veteran soldiers of Pancho Villa, who referred to his soldiers that way because of the uniform they wore. The term was never used by the organization itself, as it was a nickname used by both supporters and detractors of the ARM. However, they did use the term Los Dorados in propaganda and official documents.
Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco, a brigadier general under Pancho Villa in the 1910s during the Mexican Revolution, led the group during its most active period. Many founding members of the paramilitary had also been veterans of the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920. Members were known as "the Gold Shirts", a name reminiscent of Villa's elite soldiers whom he referred to as "los dorados" (the golden ones).[2][3]
Operating under the motto of "Mexico for Mexicans", the organization called for the expulsion of Jews and Chinese from Mexico. The Gold Shirts advocated the seizure of Chinese- and Jewish-owned businesses.[3] They also fiercely opposed labor movements and often clashed with members of the Mexican Communist Party. The group was very active in union busting, with the Gold Shirts instigating violent clashes with strikers.[3][2]
The organization received financial support from the Nazi Party of Nazi Germany, the National Fascist Party of Italy, and Mexican industrialists such as Eugenio Garza Sada (1892–1973), although many continue to deny Sada's financing, arguing that these are just rumors. The Gold Shirts also received political protection from ex-president Plutarco Elías Calles (in office from 1924 to 1928), although Nicolás Rodríguez would deny any ties with Calles when addressing the editor of the newspaper El Sinarquista in El Paso, Texas, declaring that if he did not attack Calles afterwards, it was because his own protégés took up the task themselves. The Gold Shirts also asked the newspaper director to issue a press bulletin elucidating the reasons for their struggle, and extended an invitation to Manuel Zermeño, the second national leader of the Catholic nationalist movement National Synarchist Union, to attend the inauguration of their new premises.[6]