Roberto Reyes Barreiro
Encyclopedia
Roberto Reyes Barreiro (Mérida, Yucatán
, Mexico
1877—Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico 1928) was an activist, surgeon
, and political leader in the Mexican states of Yucatán and Veracruz
. Reyes Barreiro was the founder of the local Red Cross chapter in Veracruz, as well as a 33rd Degree Mason
. He was a published author and poet, and wrote articles, essays, short stories, and editorials for the Veracruz newspaper, El Dictamen.
in Mérida, where he excelled academically as well as in campus politics. It was there that he discovered his oratorical ability and his admiration for Left-leaning
politicos, especially Marx
and Engels
; Reyes Barreiro leaned to the Left for the entirety of his adult life.
views got him into trouble with the government, and he was expelled from the state. Moving first to Mexico City
with relatives, then later to the port city of Veracruz, he met and married a young nurse, Edilberta Baquedano, and started a practice to treat the city's poorest residents. True to his heart, Reyes Barreiro preached the gospel of Left politics to his patients and to anyone who would listen. He spent many long hours making his rounds on horseback and, when possible, by carriage, often toting his doctor bag and several books on politics, poetry, science and medicine. During the Mexican Revolution
(1910–1920), Reyes Barreiro was often one of the only people allowed on the streets after dark during the curfew, to tend to his patients, revolutionaries, friends and foes alike.
, Reyes Barreiro was among the surgeons attending to the noted Mexican hero José Azueta
. When Fletcher's U.S. Marine forces shot and injured Azueta, it was doctors Reyes Barreiro and Rafael Cuervo Xicoy who tended Azueta's wounds. When Fletcher heard of Azueta's bravery in battle, he sent an envoy to ask for Azueta's permission to call and pay his respects. Azueta, receiving Fletcher's request, relayed his answer through Reyes Barreiro (the surgeon on duty when the envoy called): "I am armed only with my service pistol
, but if the American [Fletcher] sets one foot in my house I will take either his life or mine." Fletcher, upon hearing this response from Azueta, then offered to send his personal physician to care for Azueta and his wounds. Azueta's answer was "Please tell the admiral that I am in the best care that medicine has to offer, either in Mexico or the United States." Azueta died on May 10, 1914 from his wounds, a week after his 20th birthday.
and around the world. From that point forward tenants, dockworkers, revolutionaries and even prostitutes used the example set by the Veracruz Renters to model their own strikes against perceived oppressors.
and, throughout his life in that city, wrote extensively for the newspaper El Dictamen. He favored poetry—most notably love poems—but also distinguished himself as a keen observer of life while making his rounds in revolutionary Veracruz.
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
1877—Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico 1928) was an activist, surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, and political leader in the Mexican states of Yucatán and Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
. Reyes Barreiro was the founder of the local Red Cross chapter in Veracruz, as well as a 33rd Degree Mason
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
. He was a published author and poet, and wrote articles, essays, short stories, and editorials for the Veracruz newspaper, El Dictamen.
Early life
Born into a family of doctors, attorneys, and intellectuals, Roberto Reyes Barreiro was the sixth of 12 children. He graduated with honors from the Universidad Autónoma de YucatánUniversidad Autónoma de Yucatán
The Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán , or UADY, is an autonomous public university in the state of Yucatán, Mexico, with its central campuses located in the state capital of Mérida...
in Mérida, where he excelled academically as well as in campus politics. It was there that he discovered his oratorical ability and his admiration for Left-leaning
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
politicos, especially Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
; Reyes Barreiro leaned to the Left for the entirety of his adult life.
Medicine and activism
He practiced medicine in Yucatán following his graduation for a short period before his socialistSocialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
views got him into trouble with the government, and he was expelled from the state. Moving first to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
with relatives, then later to the port city of Veracruz, he met and married a young nurse, Edilberta Baquedano, and started a practice to treat the city's poorest residents. True to his heart, Reyes Barreiro preached the gospel of Left politics to his patients and to anyone who would listen. He spent many long hours making his rounds on horseback and, when possible, by carriage, often toting his doctor bag and several books on politics, poetry, science and medicine. During the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
(1910–1920), Reyes Barreiro was often one of the only people allowed on the streets after dark during the curfew, to tend to his patients, revolutionaries, friends and foes alike.
Doctor to an icon
On May 1, 1914, during the invasion of Veracruz by the American Frank Friday FletcherFrank Friday Fletcher
Frank Friday Fletcher was an United States Navy admiral who served in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was awarded the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as commander of Navy forces at the Battle of Veracruz, Mexico.-Biography:Fletcher was born on...
, Reyes Barreiro was among the surgeons attending to the noted Mexican hero José Azueta
José Azueta
Lt. José Azueta Abad , usually known as José Azueta, was a Mexican Navy cadet who became famous for his role in the United States occupation of Veracruz, where he was killed....
. When Fletcher's U.S. Marine forces shot and injured Azueta, it was doctors Reyes Barreiro and Rafael Cuervo Xicoy who tended Azueta's wounds. When Fletcher heard of Azueta's bravery in battle, he sent an envoy to ask for Azueta's permission to call and pay his respects. Azueta, receiving Fletcher's request, relayed his answer through Reyes Barreiro (the surgeon on duty when the envoy called): "I am armed only with my service pistol
Service pistol
A service pistol is any handgun issued to military personnel.Typically service pistols are revolvers or semi-automatic pistols issued to officers, non-commissioned officers and rear-echelon support personnel for self defense, though service pistols may also be issued to special forces as a backup...
, but if the American [Fletcher] sets one foot in my house I will take either his life or mine." Fletcher, upon hearing this response from Azueta, then offered to send his personal physician to care for Azueta and his wounds. Azueta's answer was "Please tell the admiral that I am in the best care that medicine has to offer, either in Mexico or the United States." Azueta died on May 10, 1914 from his wounds, a week after his 20th birthday.
Veracruz Red Cross
In 1918, Reyes Barreiro and several other doctors gathered to discuss the founding of a Red Cross chapter in Veracruz. On January 2, 1919, a formal sub-chapter of the Red Cross in Veracruz was granted by the main Red Cross chapter in Orizaba, Mexico. For the first time in the almost 400 years since its founding, the people of Veracruz had a formal place to turn in the time of emergencies, revolution and chaos.Tenant advocacy
Reyes Barreiro was later noted as the leader of the Movimiento Inquilinario—the "Tenants' Union" of Veracruz. In 1927, the rents in Veracruz were climbing higher and higher, with the majority of an average citizen's wage going toward rent. Tenants grew increasingly agitated by the situation and decided to go on ‘‘strike’’ by ceasing rent payments, electing Reyes Barreiro as their leader. Reyes Barreiro was opposed by another local activist, communist Heron Proal, who would later lead the group of tenants in their struggle against the injustices of the landlords. Reyes Barreiro is noted as the source of the quote "The citizenry of today is not as it was 30 years ago—it knows its rights and responsibilities." The Tenants' Strike in Veracruz served as a model for later strikers in Mexico, the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and around the world. From that point forward tenants, dockworkers, revolutionaries and even prostitutes used the example set by the Veracruz Renters to model their own strikes against perceived oppressors.
Personal life
Reyes Barreiro was a founding member of one of Veracruz' Freemason templesMasonic Temple
Masonic Temple is a term commonly used in Freemasonry with multiple but related meanings. It is used to describe an abstract spiritual goal, the conceptual ritualistic space formed when a Masonic Lodge meets, and the physical rooms and structures in which a Lodge meets...
and, throughout his life in that city, wrote extensively for the newspaper El Dictamen. He favored poetry—most notably love poems—but also distinguished himself as a keen observer of life while making his rounds in revolutionary Veracruz.
Death
Reyes Barreiro died in 1928 at the age of 51 in Veracruz, leaving behind a wife and ten adult children. Due to the suspicious circumstances of his death, there is speculation that it could have been a political assassination by the (then) federal government in Mexico.External links
- Movimiento Inquilinario
- Azueta Biography in Spanish from the Mexican Government
- Jose Azueta - Spanish Wikipedia
- Direct Quote - Roberto Reyes Barreiro
- "Revolution In The Street - Women, Workers and Urban Protest in Veracruz"
- El Dictamen de Veracruz
- "Nuestra Historia" - a history of the Red Cross in Veracuz (Spanish)