Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Monday 31 March 1952, page 3
MEXICAN RIOTS OVER TAXES
NEW YORK, Sunday
Crowds in Oaxaca State, Mex-ico, in revolt over new taxes, stoned to death Diodoro Maldonado, the mayor of Tlacolula.
They attacked him near the gate of his home.
Eight others have been killed and at least 50 injured in riots
Taxpayers of the city of Oaxaca, the State capital are hold-ing a general strike
They are demanding the resig-nation ol the State Governor
Manuel Heredia, because of his tax programme.
The Governor armed nearly 3,000 farmers with modern car-bines and marched them into Oaxaca's main square to "pro-tect State property" after the first outbreak of rioting.
The Governor blames Commu-nists for the disorders
Although the Governor has re-pealed his tax decree, which would have meant a sharply in-creased burden on the state's poor as well as the rich, an Oax-aca "citizens' committee" says that passive resistance will be continued until he resigns.
Yesterday General Augustin Mustieles said that army tanks
and troops of Mexico's only mo torised brigade rushed to Oaxaca after police had fired into a crowd of anti-tax demonstrators should have no trouble in pre-serving order.
"But if more trouble develops,"
he said, "we will
not hesitate to arm
more peasants — 20,000 if
necessary.”