Wednesday, Sept 28 Jose Francisco Ruiz Massieu assassinated in Mexico City (1994). The assassination of Massieu in Mexico City in 1994 unearthed a conspiracy that involved the highest levels of government in Mexico. Massieu was the brother-in-law of Mexican President Carlos Salinas and was the second highest ranking official in the dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Institucional Revolucionario or PRI in Spanish). His political aspirations were widely suspected to be in conflict with other members of the PRI. Massieu's brother, the Mexican District Attorney, investigated the murder but soon resigned because of what he alleged was obstruction of the investigation by senior PRI officials. In February of the following year, Raul Salinas, the brother to the President, was found guilty of organizing the assassination and sentenced to 50 years in prison without the possibility of parole. Massieu's murder came just six months after the assassination of PRI presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio in Tijuana. Arguably the deaths of both Massieu and Colosio represented a complex struggle among PRI power brokers to succeed Carlos Salinas as the President of Mexico.

Thursday, Sept 29 Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay begins (1932). Major misconceptions led to the outbreak of hostilities between Bolivia and Paraguay. The Gran Chaco Region was suspected of containing oil and skirmishes eventually led to the declaration of outright war. Paraguay's 890,000 people were heavily outnumbered by Bolivia's 2,150,000 but Paraguay's guerrilla tactics compared to Bolivia's more formal strategy gave the military advantage to Paraguay. The Paraguayans were also receiving intelligence from Argentina and only had to march a few miles from Asuncion compared to the Bolivians who marched from the Central Highlands. Both sides saw the conflict as an opportunity to regain lost territory: Paraguay had lost almost half of its territory to Brazil and Argentina during the War of the Triple Alliance in 1864 and Bolivia had lost its access to the Pacific in the War of the Pacific in 1883. Bolivia forcibly enlisted much of its indigenous population and, ill-equipped to fight in the conditions they found themselves, nearly 60,000 died. The war lasted until November 1934 when Bolivian generals, frustrated by their losses, overthrew President Salamanca and replaced him with the Vice President. A cease-fire was reached in 1935 and Paraguay subsequently received more than 75% of the Gran Chaco region.

Thursday, Sept 29 Colombia FARC declares U.S. soldiers as "military targets" (2000). At the turn of the century, the 17,000-strong rebel army known as Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionario de Colombia (FARC) controlled roughly 40 percent of Colombia. The FARC rebels issued a warning that U.S. soldiers working in Colombia would be considered military targets if they get involved in the war against the government. Under a $1.6 billion U.S. aid package for Colombia approved in July 2000, U.S. military personnel advised the Colombian military forces on fighting drugs and guerrillas.

Friday, Sept 30 Haiti Military Coup forces President Aristide to seek exile in France (1991). In Feb 1991, Aristide became the first democratically elected president of Haiti but was overthrown in a military coup in September of that year. The ensuing violence left 10,000 Haitians dead, devastated an already broken economy, and forced a massive exodus of refugees to flee by boat to the United States. Following the threat of U.S. military intervention (Operation Uphold Democracy), the Haitian military leaders agreed to allow Aristide to return to power. He made a triumphant return in October 1994, resumed the Presidency, and remained in power until 1996. In 2000, Aristide won the Presidency again but, like 1991, fled the capital in 2004 as rebel forces approached within a few miles of the government palace.

Information collated by Professor Pat Paterson, CHDS. Comments are welcome by email to Patrick.paterson@ndu.edu.