Othón Salazar

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Othón Salazar Ramírez (May 17, 1924 – December 4, 2008) was a Mexican teacher and political activist who helped lead the Revolutionary Movement of the Teaching (MRM). He was born in Alcozauca de Guerrero to a family that owned a bakery. He worked from a young age but also studied, attending Oaxtepec Normal School in 1942 (finishing only the first year), then Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College, the National Teachers College, and finally four years at the Superior Normal School, where he specialized in social sciences to teach civics.

In 1954 he played a key role in the first strike of the Normal Superior. In 1956, after wage negotiations fell short, he organized protests. Late in 1957 the MRM was formed, and Othón helped expand its presence in the Federal District’s schools. In 1958, as the movement grew, large protests occurred nationwide calling for democratic reforms in education. On April 30, teachers occupied the Ministry of Education, forcing negotiations. In August that year, the movement elected Othón as its representative, signaling its rising power. The year also saw broader worker protests. Although the government defeated some efforts, the movement kept alive the push for change. Othón continued teaching and, in 1960, took part in another strike at the National Teachers College; he was fired for his role.

After losing his job, he faced economic hardship and returned to Guerrero, where he advised local organizers in the Montaña region. In 1980 he ran for governor of Guerrero with the Mexican Communist Party and later served as mayor of a Guerrero municipality from 1987 to 1990. Othón Salazar Ramírez died of kidney disease on December 4, 2008, in Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero, at age 84. The Casa de Cultura Othón Salazar Ramírez is named in his honor.