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.”