Shadows Over Mexico City

Historically, the 1970s were a pivotal decade in the history of mankind. The decade shaped the world’s political landscape and was marked by significant political turbulence and conflict. Among the most prominent historical events of the decade was the fall of Saigon, which led to the conclusion of the Vietnam War and the reunification of Vietnam. Toward the end of the decade, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union) commenced its invasion of Afghanistan, setting the stage for a prolonged conflict. Other major conflicts included the Yom Kippur War (1973), the Angolan Civil War, and the Cambodian Civil War. These conflicts stemmed from the ongoing Cold War and struggles over decolonization. Meanwhile, the United States was plagued by the Watergate scandal, which resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. This seminal event reshaped public trust in the government. In Chile, General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected government.

Across the American border, Mexico was also grappling with its own political and social upheaval. The decade began with the election of Luis Echeverría Álvarez in 1970, following the presidency of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz. Echeverría was one of the most high-profile presidents in Mexico’s postwar history. However, his administration was plagued by high unemployment and illiteracy. He also promulgated leftist economic policies, such as the government’s purchase of many privately owned enterprises, which alienated business interests and led to reduced domestic investment. Toward the conclusion of his term, the country experienced runaway inflation, which would be carried over into the administrations of his successors. His administration was made even more unpopular by his authoritarian methods. These further fueled the Mexican Dirty War, an internal conflict between the government of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional, or PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), and left-wing student and guerrilla groups.

He pictured two dust motes spinning in concentric circles. Maybe it was like that everywhere, for everyone. There was always someone doing the exact same thing… People simply didn’t know it. Could be you were cutting vegetables with your left hand while it rained in Japan and a woman in Puebla was doing the same thing, and you both looked up at the sky at the same time and saw a bird fly by.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Velvet Was the Night

As always, literature plays a seminal role in memorializing this historical event. The conflict is at the heart of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novel, Velvet Was the Night. Originally published in 2021, the novel transports readers to Mexico City in the early 1970s. In different parts of the country, several student protests had been gaining traction and momentum. In the Mexican capital, the student protests were even more audible. These were driven by the forced disappearances of various individuals by the government. The country was on the brink of political mayhem. The urgency of the emerging political turbulence was underscored by the novel’s opening: a real telegram from the CIA describing a paramilitary group known as Los Halcones (the Hawks) and their role as unofficial enforcers of the Mexican government. They were tasked with disbanding leftist student organizations and breaking up student protests.

Maite Jaramillo is a lonely secretary in her thirties working at a prestigious law firm. She is dissatisfied with her job and spends much of her time reading romance stories and listening to records. Her life is ordinary and devoid of excitement. She is also detached from the chaos brewing outside. She spends her weekends exploring her neighbors’ apartments, searching for objects that might make her feel connected to other lives. Her life is about to change when her attractive but flighty neighbor, Leonora, asks her to watch her cat for a weekend. Leonora, a young art student, does not return when she says she will. Several days later, Leonora calls Maite and urgently asks her to bring her belongings and cat to a strange address. After navigating a series of print shops, Maite meets Rubén Morales, an acquaintance of Leonora. Rubén, however, is unaware of his friend’s departure or her plans to meet Maite. As Leonora’s absence lengthens, Maite gets back in touch with Rubén. They then team up to search for Leonora.

Apparently, Rubén and Leonora are part of the same left-wing artistic and political collective, Asterisk. They are also former lovers. Maite also encounters Emilio, Leonora’s lover, while she is looking after her cat. Rubén contacts Jackie, the leader of Asterisk, who informs him that Leonora has taken potentially incriminating photographs. As the story progresses, a second prominent thread emerges. On June 9, 1971, on the eve of a major student demonstration, members of the Hawks, particularly Elvis, El Güero, the Antelope, and El Gazpacho, are sent by their secretive boss, El Mago, to infiltrate and suppress a student protest. Elvis is young and eager to prove himself, although he is uneasy about the brutality of his work. Their unit’s operation turns chaotic when they receive orders to target journalists. Violence inevitably breaks out, and the event would historically become known as the Corpus Christi Massacre.

During the suppression of the student protest, El Gazpacho is gravely wounded. Against their leader’s orders, Elvis drives El Gazpacho to the hospital. Elvis’s loyalty impresses El Mago, who then makes him the head of his own unit. He is also given a new mission: to locate a woman named Leonora Trejo. Meanwhile, Maite becomes increasingly excited by the drama unfolding before her, especially when danger comes close to home. Mateo Anaya, an agent of the DFS, the Mexican secret police, even visits her at work. Anaya interrogates her about Leonora and her involvement with Rubén. As she becomes more involved in her neighbor’s disappearance, Maite visits Emilio, who tells her that Leonora wants to share the incriminating photographs she has taken with a journalist. El Mago also wants to secure these photographs for himself. The photographs, after all, implicate the government in the brutal repression of protesters.

Furthermore, she had gleaned enough about sophisticated fashions from the magazines that she wouldn’t stand out in such an environment. Oh, she’d chuck away the sensible shoes and the brown jackets for something with a little more pizzazz. At a place like that some glamour wouldn’t be unexpected, would it? Just a smidgen of it.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Velvet Was the Night

In Velvet Was the Night, Moreno-Garcia deviates from her typical literary tropes. Devoid of the fantasy that permeates most of her other works, the novel provides a different dimension to Moreno-Garcia’s prose. Velvet Was the Night is a multifaceted novel that delves into one of the darkest phases of contemporary Mexican history. A political thriller, the novel’s underlying themes are political repression and the rampant abuse of power. The Mexican Dirty War was one of the “dirty wars” that plagued Central and South America. These “wars” were derivatives of the Cold War, with the United States backing government forces that sought to quash communist, Marxist, and leftist groups across the region. The PRI was backed by the US government. As the state doubled down on its efforts to suppress dissidents, it resorted to tactics that violated human rights. The Mexican Dirty War, like the more extensive Argentine Dirty War, resulted in the forced disappearances of students and activists.

It is estimated that around 1,200 people disappeared at the hands of the Mexican government. Interestingly, these forced disappearances amplified student protests during the 1970s. However, as calls for justice grew, government crackdowns also became increasingly prevalent. These crackdowns were often violent. The Mexican Dirty War was defined by two major government-led crackdowns on student protests in Mexico City. The first was the Tlatelolco Massacre (La Masacre de Tlatelolco) in 1968. The second major crackdown was the Corpus Christi Massacre on June 10, 1971, which is also referred to as El Halconazo (The Falcon Strike). During the Corpus Christi Massacre, the Hawks attacked student protesters, first with blunt instruments and then with high-caliber rifles. Nearly 120 protesters were killed. Some of those killed were injured protesters who had been taken to hospitals but were eventually tracked down by the Hawks and murdered while hospitalized.

The Corpus Christi Massacre underscores the grave abuse of power prevalent during the period. The city’s authorities quickly denied involvement, but it was clear to ordinary Mexicans that the state was at war with its own youth. It was also palpable that the Hawks were the state’s secret weapon. The state’s repression of political and social opposition is highlighted by the extensive surveillance. It created an atmosphere of paranoia, as everyone was watching or being watched by someone else. What if the roles were reversed? The photographs taken by Leonora then silently hold power. They represent the attempt to document what the government wants hidden. The camera transforms into a symbol of resistance to state repression. Still, the state’s search for Leonora and her photographs subtly underscores how information can still be destroyed, concealed, or even manipulated by those in power. The truth is therefore malleable. It is often at the mercy of those in power. After all, history is told by the victors.

The story is elevated by Moreno-Garcia’s treatment of the period’s political unrest. Rather than steering the story toward a straightforward political narrative, she uses political violence as part of the atmosphere in which ordinary people live. Take the case of Maite. She barely paid any attention to the political unrest around her. She spends her time reading romantic comic books and uses fiction as an escape from her mundane existence. She also represents many of us, particularly those who rarely engage in political discourse. Edith in the film Enola Holmes perfectly captured this sentiment when she confronted Sherlock Holmes about his lack of interest in politics: “Because you have no interest in changing a world that suits you so well.” On the other hand, some of us have become politically apathetic because we are more focused on survival. However, the novel attempts to address the elephant in the room: Will ordinary people remain apolitical when the political system begins intruding into their lives?

Love, frail as gossamer, stitched together from a thousand songs and a thousand comic books, made of the dialogue spoken in films and the posters designed by ad agencies: love was what she lived for.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Velvet Was the Night

The disappearance of Leonora was not only a catalyst for the events that unfolded, but it also pierced Maite’s fantasy. Maite was forced to confront the dark and complex realities she had been deliberately ignoring. A different dimension to the story also emerges. Maite’s escape into the world of romantic fantasies compensated for her lack of meaningful relationships. Meanwhile, Elvis is surrounded by virile energy in which toxic masculinity is prevalent. However, he is emotionally disconnected from this world. His appreciation for music, trivia, and old records reveals a more sensitive and intellectual side. This starkly contrasts with his occupation as a Hawk. At the outset, Maite and Elvis seem completely different. However, as the story progresses, they become increasingly alike. They are fundamentally lonely people, outsiders seeking something that would give meaning to their lives.

The complexity of Maite and Elvis as characters is also one of the novel’s finer facets. They are both morally ambiguous, but they eventually develop as the story unfolds. They are multidimensional, adding depth, nuance, and intrigue to the story. They carry their own burdens and secrets, but they also strive for redemption and personal freedom. The convergence of their paths draws the spotlight onto the political landscape of Mexico during the presidency of Luis Echeverría. Government corruption, betrayal, espionage, and secret police operations created a dangerous environment. Political tension and social unrest influenced the choices and actions of the characters. This created a lush and atmospheric political noir. Beyond the political discourse, the novel also delves into prevailing societal issues. The novel subtly examines class aspirations and the illusion of upward mobility, gender inequality and gender roles, and the suppression of dissent.

Velvet Was the Night vividly captures the contours of Mexico’s turbulent political landscape in the 1970s while remaining deeply invested in the intimate lives of those caught within it. Moreno-Garcia deftly demonstrates how political repression can permeate everyday life, shaping relationships, choices, and aspirations. Through Maite and Elvis, she examines political apathy, escapism, loneliness, and personal awakening, reminding us that no one can remain untouched when the structures of power begin to encroach upon ordinary life. She seamlessly blends history, noir, mystery, and character-driven storytelling, transforming a turbulent chapter of Mexican history into a compelling meditation on power and violence. It is also an intimate examination of human vulnerability in the face of political repression. Velvet Was the Night ultimately stands as a testament to Moreno-Garcia’s versatility as a storyteller and her ability to make history feel deeply personal.

In the dance of shadows, find the rhythm of your true self.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Velvet Was the Night
Book Specs

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publisher: Del Rey
Publishing Date: 2021
No. of Pages: 278
Genre: Historical, Literary

Synopsis

1970s, Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and danger.

Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman—and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student radicals and dissidents.

Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who longs to escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock ’n’ roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he comes to observe Maite from a distance—and grows more and more obsessed with this woman who shares his love of music and the unspoken loneliness of his heart.

Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies all aiming to protect Leonora’s secrets—at gunpoint.

Velvet Was the Night is an edgy, simmering historical novel for lovers of smoky noirs and antiheroes.

About the Author

To learn more about Silvia Moreno-Garcia, click here.