ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE

¡Tierra y Libertad! 

¡Abajo con La Dictadura! 

¡Abajo con Porfiriato!

In the late 19th century, the brutal Mexican caudillo Porfirio Diaz has transformed Mexico through a sweeping modernization program built on foreign investment, railroad construction, and intense suppression of political opposition. His heavy-handed style of governance has been controversial, as while he brought great economic growth and industrialization to Mexico, he consequently concentrated land and power in the hands of a small elite. The socioeconomic gap has widened as the rural majority has access to fewer resources and rights. As the 1910 election approaches, revolutionary movements led by figures like Francisco Madero, Emiliano Zapata, and Pascual Orozco begin to challenge the foundations of the Porfiriato from multiple fronts.

This committee will center around the board game “Risk!” as the central framework for debate, with territorial control and troop deployment on the board directly shaping political and diplomatic decisions. 

Draw your guns, rally your men, and say a prayer, for the Porfiriato will fall!