"Francisco "Pancho" Villa (1 878-1923)" "Campesino, bandit and revolutionary General." "His military genius led him to control the north of Mexico and together with Zapata, all of the country during the Mexican Revolution." "When he lost part of his army, the Northern Division, in the Battle of Celaya, he began his career as a guerrilla fighter." "He invaded US territory in 1916." "He never surrendered." "His heritage ranks him as one of the greatest social fighters in history." "general villa is the only Mexican Who didn't allow the gringos to steal from him." "He even invaded their land to demonstrate Who We Mexicans are." "I Wish our new presidents would follow the example of Pancho villa." "GENERALS VILLA AND ZAPATA" "TAKE OVER THE CAPITAL" "WITH THEIR PEASANT ARMIES." "Honor to whoever deserves it I say it with respect" "to remember a man who was called "Caudillo"" "Long live Pancho Villa together with his men." "I am Juana María general villa's daughter." "My name is PauIina Ana María Zapata!" "My father Was EmiIiano general EmiIiano Zapata." "She is like a sister to me." "Because my father and hers Were like two brothers as well." "Here We are face to face." "villa and Zapata, for sure!" "If Pancho Villa were alive" "Mexico would rule!" "Don AIejandro What do you remember about general Francisco villa's revolution?" "What do I remember?" "Yes, sir." "well, I'II tell you the real truth." "Yes, sir." "I don't remember anymore." "I'm over over 150 years old What could I remember?" "Long live Francisco villa and the Mexican revolution!" "I sing to you with pride that I come from Durango" "It's the land of men where our leader was born" "He Was very Weepy." "When he talked about his past he would cry." "They would call him "the shrimp" since he Was red-faced and Iight-haired." ""Here comes Pancho villa!" The Women would hide and so would the men." "He could take on a man, and grab him by the collar." "That's What I can say about him." "Because he almost never forgave." "Anybody he caught, if he didn't kill him in a fight, he'd kill him right there even if he Was crying." "Because if villa Were alive, Mexico, and much more Chihuahua WouIdn't be in the shape We're in With all the new rich here." "Because he Was a man With a Iot of guts." "He looked really good to me." "He Was a good man because he fought for the land." "He took it away from the old masters and gave it to us, the poor." "Some he Wanted to take With him, and others he Wanted to kill because they Weren't ViIIistas." "He had some of both good and bad." "Good and bad, that's right." "He Was a great man, my general." "He Was the one Who defended our homeland and defended Mexico." "I sing to you with pride that I come from Durango" "It's the land of men where the Caudillo was born" "He was the father of more than four" "He made the gringos tremble" "Bringing honor to my land" "And from there I come to sing" "Because I have guts, too I, too, am from Durango where Pancho Villa was born" "His name was Doroteo Arango" "Just like Don miguel hidalgo fought for the Mexicans' freedom general Francisco villa fought for a better Mexico." "The great Centaur of the North was father to more than four." "My name is Ernesto Nava, at your service." "I Was born in Nazas, Durango in 1915." "My mother Was Macedonia Ramírez Nava." "What's that over there, a dog or What?" "What a brave dog!" "I had a truly terrible life and I Was discriminated against." "When I Was a little boy my mother took me to the United States." "That bridge, the golden Gate Was built completely by Mexicans Who came to this country." "I didn't know much but a man called Juan told me..." ""I know Whose son you are and I knew your father."" "Over there is called AIcatraz." "That place really belonged to the Indians and I think it still does, because it's deserted." "When I Was eight my mother told me a secret." "She said, "Listen son, I'm going to tell you something." "But you have to keep it to yourself." "You can never tell anyone here in the US or in Mexico either."" "Because if I Were there they could kill me, she said and if I Were in the US, they could kill me, too." ""Look, son," she said "Your father Was Pancho villa but you can't tell anybody." "That name can't ever be mentioned." "Never mention it to anyone."" "My name is Francisca Quiñónez Orozco." "I Was born in San Juan del Río, Durango on February 2, 1916." "What I know about Pancho villa he Was the son of an "hacienda" owner." "His father Was Luis Fermán." "What I know is because my mother told us something about it." "My father Was the manager of that hacienda for some time and he Was a brother-in-IaW to miguel Fermán Gracia the hacienda owner's son." "The hacienda Was known as Ciénega de Basoco." "Pancho villa's mother Worked on that hacienda..." "And the owner raped her." "But she Was married." "When she Was pregnant When Pancho Was about to be born she Went home to a place called La Coyotada." "The little houses Where they lived are still standing." "I kept this secret for 80 years because it Was necessary, because my mother ordered me to." "now, I have come for the first time to see my father's house and I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest." "Every day I thought..." ""Where Was my father born?"" "And I kept thinking about it." "And now I know." "These are the lamps We used to use in the fields." "My mother died, keeping my father's secret." "And so it Was." "I am Bernarda Orona GonzáIez and Doroteo Arango Was one of my mother's relatives he Was her cousin." "Yes, her cousin." "Doroteo Arango's real name Was not Pancho villa his name Was Doroteo Arango from Río Grande." "He Worked on the hacienda When he Was still young. not young really, he Was a child When he Worked as a cowboy caring for the calves." "So he grew up there and somebody told him that the owner Was his father so he left and made his own Way." "His mother Wanted to send him to school but he never Wanted to go." "What he Wanted Was revenge for What they had done to his mother." "I knew him well and would say hello." "He came through here." "A man named PetroniIo CenteIIano gave the order." "From here, he Was sent to jail in San Juan." "They said he Was a crook but I never saw him steal anything." "He Was brave, though." "My father Was in this jail When he Was 16." "I don't really know Why." "When don Luis Martínez Negrete, the hacienda owner raped Doroteo Arango's sister he got really angry and Went to accuse him and his mother said..." ""Don't go to that man because he has a Iot of people Who defend him."" "But he didn't pay attention and Went anyway." "When he came in, the overseer came in and Doroteo grabbed the pistol from his belt and didn't stop until he'd filled don Luis' legs With holes." "He Was in jail a month and then escaped to the Gamón Mountains." "But they had persecuted him so much they had done him so much harm, that he turned bad." "He Was forced into it because he couldn't survive." "They Were after him because he had killed the son of a rich man." "The rich owned everything." "They Wanted someone killed and they Were killed." "They Wanted someone else killed and they Were killed too." "If they caught you, they didn't bother With Whether you did it or not they caught you and they hanged you." "There Was no forgiving." "They had us living like animals like dogs." "That's how they had us, the hacienda owners don alfonso, don GuiIIermo, don Fermín." "They Were mostly all Spaniards Who owned everything around here." "PopsicIes!" "alberto López Becerra." "I'm 102 years old." "I Was born on april 8, 1902." "I grew up in the time of hacienda owners." "AII the hacienda owners then did Whatever they felt like With you because the government Was on their side." "It Was pretty ugly back then." "They made you afraid because they Weren't even afraid of God When it came to how they treated you." "Sometimes they'd feed us and sometimes they wouldn't and there you Were, all dejected." "It Was a terrible, awful..." "sad thing." "And they had no pity for you they treated you Iike an animal." "The real villa Was killed." "He Was a bandit around Casas Grandes in Chihuahua." "Pancho villa's real name Wasn't Pancho villa." "His name Was Doroteo Arango but he killed an hacienda owner Who had raped his sister and then he disappeared and heard about this guy named Pancho villa Who Worked around Casas Grandes and he Went and joined him." "During a robbery the real Pancho villa Was shot three times and When he Was dying he said..." ""Doroteo, you're going to keep my name, Pancho villa and you, my compadre, you're going to respect Doroteo Who's going to keep my name." "And that's What they did and they Were bandits, but not very good at it so they decided instead to rise up in arms." "I can't see, I'm deaf, My eyes are all gummed up." "If you knew general villa?" "Yes." "Doroteo Arango Was his name." "villa Was killed." "He Was Doroteo Arango, not villa." "villa Was killed because he stole mules and horses and sold them across the border and they killed him." "But that Was Francisco villa not Doroteo Arango, ...Who Was born in Río Grande, Durango in 1887 (1878)..." "My name is JuIián López Macías." "My father Was José López Fierro simply one of villa's Dorados, from the Northern Division." "My father Was a compadre of general villa." "I Was born in 1915 on December 9." "general villa and La Charrita took me to be baptized." "...they Were my godparents." "general villa, my godfather, would tell me..." "" Look, son don't let people show you any disrespect but don't you show them any disrespect either."" "I'm 87 years old now and I still feel pretty good well, not With the same energy as When I Was only 60 or 70." "But I can still walk, and I feel like I can well, not Work but go on With my Iife." "Pancho villa's revolution Was fought With trains." "He had special trains for horses special trains for people and even for the "AdeIitas" (Women soldiers)." "But these trains don't exist anymore." "The government sold them to foreigners just like everything else in Mexico." "Maybe they're still afraid since With those trains, villa almost Won the revolution." "Here he is." "He's the Iast colonel of the revolution." "I Was a colonel With the Northern Division on general Pancho villa's side." "I Was there." "how Was it that you got involved in the revolution?" "Me?" "Yes, sir." "well I Was in the revolution because villa already knew me, over there in BaIIeza." "One day he said:" ""Let's go do some shooting."" ""No," I told him, "What do I know about any of that?" "... ...I don't even know how to use a gun."" ""You'II learn quick," he told me..." "He forced me to go." "But I Was mostly With With Martín López and pablo." "general Martín López, my brother." "My name is pablo López Aguirre." "I'm a brother to generals pablo and Martín López." "I Was named after my brother pablo because I Was born When they shot him, on June 24." "They Went into columbus..." "And that's When they injured pablo in both legs." "When he fell, Martín saw him..." "He heaved him on his back, any Way he could, and got him out of there." "From there, he Went to the La silla mountains, to a cave." "They got pablo up there, but not villa." "They said: "Give yourself up, pablo López, We know you're there."" "And he said, "I'm here If you're Mexicans, I surrender." "But if you're gringos, I'II die fighting."" "That's pablo López, my brother." "He's facing the firing squad." "Are you rolling?" "Yes." "My name is Juan carlos CabaIIero." "I do aerobics, too." "I Was born in 1900 in Chihuahua." "It's like playing..." "I'm tired because We've been running around these days..." "Even you got tired." "I Was Pancho villa's driver." "I certainly Was, and I'm very proud of it." "Because he Was a man..." "he Was a brave man." "how many is that?" "Forty." "well, shall We do the other ten?" "..." "Is that enough?" "For me it's like a game." "As you Wish." "shall We finish?" "Not even young men do this." "how many is that?" "Sixty." "Okay, that's enough." "I keep in shape through the exercises I do abdominaIs, and I walk about sixty blocks a day..." "I've got my garden here." "You saw it, well taken care of, really nice." "To just sit around, no thanks." "This is my therapy, and it's my choice." "No one tells me to do it." "I do it because I Iike to Work." ""Do this, CarIitos." "Do that."" "No Way, because I Iike to be active, to be doing something because if I just sit there, then I Won't be able to even move anymore." "What Was that?" "No." "We can keep going." "We can do more." "When I joined the ranks of the revolution, I Was 14 years old." "First, I invited my neighbor:" ""So What do you say?" "Let's join the revolution."" ""No Way," he said, "our fathers will give us a beating."" "And I told him, "No, they Won't do anything."" "And somehow I convinced him that We should go." "Since I Was a year older than my neighbor, may he rest in peace..." "I Went to the general and told him:" ""general, sir, We Want to join you because We can see that you're a brave man."" "That's What I told him." "And he said:" ""And you, Where are you from?"" ""We're from here."" "And he said:" ""No, around here there aren't any..."" "...using bad language, but he Was playing around and later he said:" ""you can't handle a rifle."" ""if you would be so kind as to pass a rifle to each of us We'II see if We can or not."" "When they brought the rifles I Iooked inside and there Was a little old Ford With a stick shift With a lever With a crank With a spark and I told him, "I can get that car over there running."" "My dad had one:" "he Was a rancher in Chihuahua." "" I can drive that car."" ""You?" he said." "And I said: "Yes, sir, I can."" "Listen, are you the one that Was on TV?" "Yes, I Was on TV." "The one that Was With Pancho villa?" "I Was his driver." "And Where did you take him When you drove him around?" "With Women." "He had 7 or 8 Women." "His Wife, Luz, would say to me..." ""You know a Iot about my husband, and you're going to tell me."" ""But What can I tell you?" "You know how he is..." "I just drop him off." "He's very mysterious."" "I would say that Pancho villa had about 8 Wives." "Wherever We ended up, he would find himself a Wife." "He Was quite a Womanizer, that's the truth but he Was a good man." "If he'd come back..." "I'd be back With him until I died." "If Adelita went off with another I would follow her by land and sea" "Adelita, for the love of God, I beg you for as long as you live, don't forget me." "I'm GuadaIupe villa Quezada the daughter of general Francisco villa and La Charrita, as he called her." "Her name Was AureIia Severiana Quezada Romero." "She Was one of the AdeIitas." "He met her in the town of Nonoaba, Chihuahua." "He talked With her a Iot, and told her..." "" Later, I will come to speak With you formally."" "...but he didn't Wait." "That night, he came for her, and took her away." "In a year, I Was born, in ParraI, Chihuahua on December 12, 1915." "I can tell you everything you Want to know..." "God willing." "María Esther Gutiérrez Nieto." "I met general Pancho villa in my father's saddle shop." "Then, general villa came in, and said:" "" Don FeIipe, I'm here to bother you about the saddles I need them right away because We Want to go to Juárez today."" "And I told him..." ""To finish the saddles it's not just a matter of churning one out after another."" ""Who is this girl, Don FeIipe?"" ""She's my daughter, but she's a chatterbox."" ""It's good that she's not afraid of me Is she in school?" "Yes, sir."" ""What year?" "In the third year."" ""Put her in a good school since she isn't afraid of me she can already defend herself will you do it?"" "And my father said..." ""I have 13, how am I going to put all of them in private school?"" ""Just her, and I'II help you pay the tuition."" "And he did just as he promised." "I'm a veteran of the Mexican revolution here in Chihuahua and I'm still a veteran although more than a few are bothered by it the PAN-istas, for example but Who cares!" "I'm not scared of them." "I have Pancho villa over here in the living room." "Here's the key." "We thought you had it over here." "Okay now..." "But I can't reach it please..." "This is Pancho villa." "When my daughter took me to Monterrey..." ""You don't like Pancho villa?"" "And I told her, "how could I not Iike him?" "Of course I do."" "And she told me, "well, then, I'm going to give this to you, granny."" "And I said "alright, then."" "And she gave it to me When I got here." "Yes, he Was a good man since for me he Was from my family, and even if he hadn't been how can I say anything bad about him?" "My mother Was Juana Torres." "My mother Worked she Was 15 years old in a cashmere and military attire shop." "That's Where she met him." "The one in the middle is my father general Pancho villa." "They say he fell in love With her." "He Went to ask my grandfather for her hand and my grandfather told him "no."" "But he said, "If you don't give her over to me in so much time I'II take her away With me."" "My mother Was 15 years old When she married general villa." "When I Was 3 years old, she died of a heart attack." "She Was buried in a common grave." "This is for my father." "On Father's Day I take him flowers." "I Iove him a great deal, even though they say he Was no good for my mother." "They say she didn't love him but I think she did." "My name?" "Esther Andrade García." "The Orozquistas took her." "Ruperta, may God forgive her she Was my sister, and they took her away." "Many, many young Women Were taken." "My mother she grieved deeply because of that revolution." "She grieved for her daughter because they took her away." "Can you believe it?" "She didn't eat, from such grief." "Yes, tell them to bring it over here so they can see it." "Yes, he left it for me here, show it to them here it is." "For what purpose would the sword have been useful to your husband?" "Not anymore but it Was useful When he Was With villa." "They came and grabbed his horse." "They Weren't going to bother With him, they just Wanted his horse." "But When he saw they Were going to take it he told them that he and his horse Went together." "And that's how he got involved in the revolution." "And that's What happened." "He left me in ruins, With nothing." "May God forgive general Pancho villa." "Do you think he was good or bad for Mexico?" "He did good and my husband, together With him." "May God forgive them both." "What is your full name?" "Your full name!" "miguel de León Soto." "What kind of Work did you do during the revolution?" "Before We begin can I say a few Words?" "I'm only going to ask that you allow me to tell a lie, that's all." "No, here We're not looking for lies." "I Won't give you my real name." "That's What I ask for, since it's best for me." "You're the one Who knows him the most..." "Speak the truth, tell the truth!" "well, but this lie is more important than other things." "No, that's not so." "So, if it's not okay, well then, no." "The truth, tell the truth, honestly!" "You shod the general's horses With horseshoes backwards." "plain and simple!" "The horses yes." "They said you Were heartless, but in those times if you didn't kill, you Were killed." "And did you have to shoot anyone?" "Lots of people, not just one, lots of them..." "Loads of them..." "I didn't keep count, but yeah, about forty, forty something around there, and maybe even more, since you Were there..." "No, listen the ones I saw that I killed about about...80." "Yeah." "This knife belonged to my father and more than once, Güero AureIio used it." "He Was a bloodthirsty one." "He Was general villa's executioner and he cut off the ears of the prisoners in order to recognize them if he captured them again." "If he did, he cut them up down below as well to get rid of their badness." "He'd put this little silver spoon in the food and if it came out stained it Was a sign that it had been poisoned." "That's Why he would tell those Who prepared the food..." ""Bring me the "chiImoIeros", and sit them down to eat."" "And they had to eat the food, and there they would sleep for ever..." "Why did they sleep forever?" "." "Because they'd die from the poison they intended for him." "But he Was very alert and he Was very fair." "So, because of the little spoon, he knew perfectly well that the food Was poisoned, and they had to eat it so they'd find out What it meant to poison people." "My name is AnacIeto Rentería Díaz." "I Was born in 1908." "We Were from Coronado, Chihuahua." "There, We saw When. villa and his people brought the poor people corn and beans to plant." "Carranza's people they would come into a village and would go right into someone's house Without asking for permission." "If they found tortillas, they took them if they found beans, they took them and they left families in ruin." "I saw it myself." "CARRANZA, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO," "FOUGHT VILLA FROM 1914 TO 1920." "Jesús Rivas I've even forgotten my last name, We don't use them here..." "Sahagú!" "Yes, Sahagú..." "SaIú yeah, Write down something like that." "But What he says, yeah, that's my name." "With this illness, I've forgotten almost all the generals." "You know, I didn't even remember my children, What their names Were." "I Was a soldier With Venustiano Carranza." "I Was very young When I joined." "In those days the government didn't have any money. so We ran around almost naked they didn't even give us clothes, because they didn't have any." "I deserted many times then I'd join up again,and then I'd desert again, and I'd go off With others." "It Was a bad habit I had." "And I'd change my name since I Was young and others told me that Was What I should do... so if they'd come looking for me, they wouldn't find me." "Nothing ever happened to me." "Do you remember why people fought in the Revolution?" "I can't really tell you." "Some Were fighting for one thing and some Were fighting for another." "We fought, but We didn't even know Why or What for." "At the end We saw that land Was being redistributed and We liked that." "But listen they paid us $1 .50 per day." "They didn't pay us until We Were starving to death." "We'd go to the general Who We answered to and said..." ""Listen, general, Sir, lend me a few pennies."" "...but you'II have to pay me interest."" "Of What they paid us they took 25o%% to be able to lend the money to us but that money Was our money and they had it ready to give to us." "The generals treated us very badly they'd beat us, and did Whatever they Wanted to us." "And why did you join up the Revolution?" "Because We Were foolish, well actually, because We Were hungry because there Was nothing to eat... ..there Was no Work We Were young, and the revolution seemed like a game to us." "What was Pancho Villa like?" "He Wanted the land to redistribute it others fought to grab all the land and get even richer than they already Were." "I Wanted With all my heart and soul that all the deceit would end." "So, When I Was 14, I joined the ranks of the revolution after seeing so much injustice." "In those years, people Worked for a handful of corn raw corn is all they got." "They never saw any money they never got their hands on any money, because they didn't get any." "And Who would complain?" "Since the government Was on the haciendas payroll." "So, even if they complained nothing happened." "I still have some coins from the days of haciendas." "The company,owned stores brought terrible hardship." "I remember it all and until the day God comes for me I will not forget the many, many injustices We've lived through." "We fought so that Mexico would be free." "I Was With general villa in a number of different places." "I remember When We came to this plaza in Monterrey to ask for a Ioan... ..and it turned out really good for us because We got What We needed more than anything." "We needed money to continue the struggle and buy Weapons." "This is the La silla hill." "Luz corral, villa's Wife, said I Was her son." "She called me CarIitos, not Juan carlos they called me CarIitos." ""You're so young it's like you're my son, you are" she would say to me, but it Was just something she would say I Wasn't really her son." "This plaza is very nice the only thing missing is that Pancho villa isn't here." "...It would be the greatest thing to have the Centaur of the North in this plaza." "When We took control of an hacienda We Were told to go and tell those in the villages that they should go and get Whatever they could find in the haciendas." "..."No, they'II kill us" the peasants Who Worked in the haciendas would tell us." ""Go on, go to the hacienda and load up What you can you have your cart and your donkey, go and get What you can beans, corn, coffee, there's some of everything there, take it all"..." ""No, they'II kill us."" ""Who'II kill you?" "The police."" ""We're in charge of the police."" "...We said because We had already taken over the plaza We Were the ones in charge." "FideI VareIa Gaitán, that's my name." "My father participated in the assault on Zacatecas in 1914 and as a boy, I saw What happened there, too." "I remember it clearly When general villa told everybody lined up "the fighting will begin When you hear the sound of the cannon."" "He Was the one Who gave the order." "When the cannons Were fired, everyone Went in, all together..." "And they finished them off in no time at all." "Zacatecas Was captured thanks to Pancho villa." "He Was the one Who figured out the strategy how they'd attack, at What time, and how they'd do it." "They attacked Zacatecas With around 20,000 men." "They stormed into the cathedral With horses and all.." "...and forced out the soldiers Who had run in there and Were clinging to the saints." "The ViIIistas arrived, and got those soldiers out, With saints and all..." "It Was bloody and some people died." "You can just imagine how it ended up." "That's me." "Taking over Zacatecas Was the triumph of the revolution." "...that's exactly What it Was." "When We had taken over the plaza We Went in With guitars, singing and singing as if We Were going to a restaurant to eat a plate of goat meat." "That's the spirit We had as if We Were going to eat a plate or two of goat meat." "We felt so good." "That's Why..." "Long live the Mexican revolution!" "Don't you think so?" "I'm Diego Zapata and general EmiIiano Zapata Was my father." "general Pancho villa Was a very good friend of my father's and I Was a good friend of his sons, too." "When they Went into Mexico City they Went to the national palace to be presidents of Mexico but that's not What my father and general Francisco villa Were looking for." "They only Wanted the Mexican revolution to triumph." "We'd Iike to honor our comrade FideI VareIa as an elder among us." "Let's give a hand of applause to our friend and may he enjoy the best of happiness." "That's me." "I participate in "La Morisma de Los Doce Pares de Francia" just like you can see there." "It's a tradition in Zacatecas." "And I still participate." "how about that?" "Pancho villa is the only one Who's brought justice to bear on the gringos." "The gringos are now the owners of Mexico, they've taken everything." "There aren't any trains anymore." "Nothing's left." "Since Pancho villa is gone, they do Whatever they please." "They killed Pancho villa, and now they're just as happy as could be." "That's What they Wanted, they Wanted to get rid of the leaders of the revolution." "I met Pancho villa in person." "I Was a boy When I saw him here at the CoIorada Station." "AII he had to do Was reach for his gun and it Was straight to the grave." "Yeah, I met him." "Listen, general Francisco villa Was losing in CeIaya because of the bad ammunition he Was sold in the United States." "Obregón defeated him..." "He Was furious, so he Went to columbus and showed them no mercy." "He brought some young gringo Women back With him." "ALVARO OBREGÓN DEFEATED VILLA" "IN THE BATTLE OF CELAYA IN 1915." "The battle of CeIaya the defeat." "I Was there, and I fought there." "That's Why I can tell you it Was a terrible defeat..." "My name is my given name?" "Antonio Gómez DeIgado from the city of Apatzingán in Michoacán." "But, What Was the reason that general villa Was defeated by ÁIvaro Obregón in that battle?" "He lost precisely because the gringos sold him poor quality, second-rate ammunition." "It Was a terrible defeat." "We hadn't lost any battle like We lost the battle in CeIaya. in that year of 1915." "Pancho villa said..." ""Our country will never be rich or great, or free until there is a complete stop to all types of communication With the United States With the Yankees."" "There comes Pancho Villa he'll give 'em some war for a while" "Now the Americans even sell his portrait" "The great Centaur of the North was father to more than four" "Be careful, snakes and all barking dogs" "Because Pancho Villa's coming and be aware that he's your father" "And to more than four gringos he's coming to give 'em hell." "Entró aI pueblo y aterrorizó aI pueblo." "¡Era un asesino!" "...porque esa pobre gente inocente que él mato a pesar de tantos años y siendo familiar de las víctimas yo no puedo tener ninguna admiración por Pancho villa." "Pancho villa Was the only one Who invaded the United States." "He Went to columbus, With his army and What did they do to him?" "Nothing." "Ha sido Ia úItima invasión aI territorio continental de Ios Estados Unidos por un ejército extranjero." "Tengo una carta que él escribió a EmiIiano Zapata pidiendo a Zapata que viniera a ayudarIo." "En Ia carta decIaraba que nunca voIvería a disparar una bala en contra de su gente." "Que su enemigo en común era Estados Unidos .y que ahora sólo mataría "gringos"." "Today, in our Mexico, February 16" "Wilson sent us 6,000 Americans 3,000 horses, 200 airplanes" "searching for Villa, to kill him." "Este es un camión de 1916, de 2 toneIadas y media." "Muchos de estos fueron usados en México durante Ia "Expedición Punitiva" cazando a villa." "Fueron utiIizados 850 camiones como estos para abastecer las tropas durante Ia "Expedición Punitiva"." "President wilson sent 25,000 soldiers in pursuit of villa asking Carranza for permission to capture him and he told them they could, that they could capture him that he Was a man operating outside the law." "Wasn't he the one Who defeated them When they came to Mexico?" "...Isn't it so?" "What did the Americans think?" "That fighting was some kind of ballroom dance?" "Their faces covered with shame" "They had to go back home." "They never captured him, they could never do anything to him." "They had to betray him to kill him, that Was the only Way since as long as he Was armed and fighting they could never do anything to him no one could touch him." "The lie you Were going to tell us, go on and tell us." "I told it once." "I Won't tell it again." "I haven't told it!" "I said you should allow me to tell one lie in my lifetime but I haven't told you yet." "Go on, tell us." "No." "It's dangerous for me." "We Won't do anything to you." "Nothing will happen to you." "I'm not afraid of death." "My brother Martín told my father..." ""I've been fighting for nine years and you're never going to be anything but poor."" "This is general villa." "This is Martín and this is NicoIás Fernández." "Martín told my father..." ""villa is giving up We don't know anymore What We're fighting for and he Wants to go for amnesty."" "And villa told him..." ""But if I go for amnesty, you're going to keep fighting and you'II be fighting against me"." ""No." "Not against you If I'm the only one left I'II fight until they kill me but I Won't go for amnesty." "You seek amnesty."" "We believe that general villa ordered Martín to be shot and it's almost certain that's What happened but We, the whole family none of us would speak poorly of him." "First of all, our brothers died for his cause." "Three of them." "And they Were steadfast until the end." "So We hold villa in esteem no matter What." "When We hear his name mentioned it's like our brothers are still alive that's exactly how it is." "They Were faithful to him until the end so We'II leave it to be Worked out up there." "VILLA RETIRES TO PACIFIC LIFE" "SABINAS, COAHUILA, JULY, 1920." "1920, I can remember it clearly" "A Thursday afternoon" "Francisco Villa arrived in Canutillo" "You haven't gone to CanutiIIo?" "It's really lovely, the hacienda." "The government gave it to him so he'd accept amnesty so they could kill him Whenever they Wanted to." "Before beginning to build houses to rebuild the house Where he would live, there in the hacienda he built a school." "Yes, he had a first-rate school." "He brought the teachers and ordered that all schooI-age children be brought together." "The children's fathers would tell him..." ""general, sir..." "We Want to bring our children but We don't know anyone here." "We don't have relatives Who can take care of them"." "And he would say, "Don't make a fool of me." "You have to bring them." "Bring 5, 6, 8 of them together and find a Woman Who will tend to them." "I'II get you a house right away."" "They gave him the CanutiIIo Hacienda but it Was a pigsty and he fixed it up like a city." "When We Went to CanutiIIo you should have seen how nicely he treated everyone With lots of love, lots of affection." "He would tell them..." ""My men, if it Wasn't for my men I wouldn't have been anyone."" "I Was a student in the school that general villa built." "We came here in 1921 ." "In 1922, I started at the school." "In 1923, they killed the general, and that Was the end of the school." "I feel sad because I'm the only one still alive." "The other students Who Were in the school With me are not alive anymore." "There at the window is Where he would sit to hear the classes the teacher Was giving but Without saying anything to the teacher, or to anyone..." "After a while, he'd get tired, and he would pick up and go." "He'd say nothing to no one." "This Was my classroom Where I Iearned to Write my name." "It's classroom "A"." "First "A"!" "people cared a great deal for my general because here on Sundays people spent the day With him at the hacienda Watching cock fights and Watching people play ball." "He liked the ball court game a Iot, he did." "When We Went to CanutiIIo he'd play until he Was sweating bucketfuIs." "And then he'd say:" ""now let's go."" "villa would always take me around With him." "When We Went to CanutiIIo, I Was already married then and Ramón, my husband, told him..." ""general, you haven't met this little person?"" ""well, I'm not sure, I might have."" ""well, she's the girl Who spoke With you some years ago."" ""Oh, don FeIipe's daughter." "That's great don't you be going anywhere." "You will be staying here 12 days to drink goat milk."" "There Was a Iot of goat milk in canutillo." "Life Was good here." "For the Women he set up a corn grinder so they wouldn't have to do it by hand." "He got up in the morning at 6 o'cIock, to Work in the fields  With the peasants." "When he came back he would come and play With us." "And We all ate together." "He had all of us and We loved him dearly." "general villa had two big trucks." "One of them he named "The republic."" "He Went around in that truck to pick up his things over there in the mountains Where he had his hideouts." "From there he brought an arsenal of Weapons and put them in the church." "He had them in the high altar." "In the blacksmith's shop..." "general villa Was cutting up pipes and covering up one end and fitting a cap on the other and putting a hole in them." "He made them and put them in the hacienda." "My dad Was the one Who said. that he Was making grenades getting ready in case it Were necessary that's Why he Wanted them." "My father Was already retired." "He didn't like politics." "The people invited him to be a candidate and he said "Not me, I'm not a politician I don't even like politics."" "He Was always Working, Working if you could only see how lovely CanutiIIo Was." "He seemed to calm down but he Wanted to rise up again to bring more justice than he already had." "We Were sad When they killed him because they killed him... ..and that Was the end of the school." "That's Why the saying Was..." "We must remember the year 1920 when here in Canutillo the golden era of rural education began." "Because there Weren't any schools anywhere but We had one!" "Look at it." "I pay homage to the job my general did since maybe.. some better prepared students could have come out of the school to serve Mexico to serve our country." "But, once again, We remained ignorant." "But like I said..." "I think a Iot of him his name and the Work he came to do yes, sir." "walking along these streets, I have lots of memories." "I remember july 20, 1923 When they killed general Francisco villa." "This star is in memory of Where general Francisco villa Was killed." "It Was very painful for us because he Was a man Who truly did not deserve that kind of death." "The only thing I Want is for the truth to be said." "He Was ambushed." "people had told him..." ""Take care of yourself, because they're after you."" "He had a feeling something would happen..." "He Was leaving in a little old car and he called to all of us..." ""If I don't come back remember me."" "He Was killed the next day." "I think my father Was killed by general Obregón Who Was the country's president at that time." "now he's at rest." "He suffered a great deal." "Where Were you When they killed him?" "Me?" "Yes." "I Was out there With the Indians running away in the high mountains When they killed him." "When I saw they'd killed him, I had to run somewhere." "We Were left completely in the streets With nothing at all." "The government took everything." "The government Was more in need than We Were because We Were left in the streets We just moved to one side so they wouldn't run us over." "What future do you see for Mexico?" "Right now, I don't see any at all." "To the contrary, We're just like crabs moving backwards." "We are running out of will." "We've been completely abandoned." "I think even God has forgotten us." "My dear general, I came to see you." "Listen to me, don't leave me alone look how depressed I am." "Ask God, With all your heart to help me get through these months to bring you back to see you once again to tell you, yes, this time, good-bye." "If general Francisco villa came back to life he would drop dead again after seeing all the injustice." "If Pancho Villa came back to life?" "well, he'd come back even more enraged." "well, I'd salute him like one salutes a general." "well, I'd greet him and I'd ask him:" "how can I help you?" "He'd go back to being a bandit." "I'II be right there, yes sir.... ...and We'II all be there." "I Won't be the only one." "He would go see those people to thank them, to help them." "No, not those..." "Those he would hang!" "Oh, yes!" "He'd see us all groWn-up now." "well, lots of people would Iike him to come back but he can't anymore." "well, people say if Pancho villa had lived Mexico would have changed the state of Durango would have changed a Iot they have their reasons." "The poor are those Who most Wish general villa Was still alive." "Me, I remember him and I pay tribute to the name of Francisco villa." "If villa Were alive We wouldn't be in this situation." "No, it would be different this country wouldn't be the Way it is." "It's not true that general Francisco villa is buried at the Monument to the revolution." "They're somebody else's bones." "Who knows Whose bones they are?" "Pancho villa's remains are With the mummies in Guanajuato." "If he came back I would join him again to death." "...And when you fly under the Parral sky cry with me for him, Francisco Villa." "although I would say that this song is nicer as a waltz like this, but slower." "And there is only one who has not forgotten" "and he will murmur his prayer at Villa's tomb." "In order for things in México to get better..." "general villa must come back to life." "now, more than ever Mexico needs Francisco villa." "We need a man Who loves Mexico and the people of Mexico." "We have everything We need to stop living in poverty but our lack of knowledge about our history allows those Who govern us to take advantage of us just like When the Spaniards came to Mexico." "Nothing has changed." "We're here just like When you Were here, general and We come to save the people of Mexico from the misfortune of living With governments that respond to foreign interests but not those of their own people." "We have decided to unite our struggles not to change a government but to overthrow it!" "We must do it soon, We must do it fast because this country can't stand it any more." "Today We say to the Mexican society that We have come for What belongs to us to fight for our rights." "That's the sole reason Why this campesino movement has come to Mexico City." "The blood of my father Was not shed in vain." "I believe in a better Mexico." "I believe in a free Mexico Without bondage or servitude." "The struggle of my father is not over nor will it end because right noW it is moving forward more strongly because everyone can understand these things and I hope things change in the future and they will change." "I feel this in my chest, in my heart that all of this will change." "That's how it is and that's What I believe."