Living Diorama - Tierra y Libertad! Magónistas Crossing the desert to liberate Mexicali, January 29, 1911

Living Diorama - Tierra y Libertad! 

Magónistas Crossing the desert to liberate Mexicali, January 29, 1911

Diorama in cactus terrarium, representing the beginning act of the Baja Campaign of the Confederación de Grupos del Ejército Liberal.

The Mexican Liberal Party (PLM) was headed by Ricardo Flores Magón, and other Mexican anarchists and socialists in exile in los Angeles.  Months into a rebellion against the dictator Porfirio Diaz waged by various revolutionary factions, the PLM decided to launch a campaign in Baja, the sparsely-populated and poorly defended north-west corner of Mexico, so as to establish a foothold and move its head quarters into the country. Once in Baja, the PLM junta planned to unite and coordinate the disparate fighting groups and liberate all of Mexico. The junta selected Mexicali at the first objective in the campaign. José María Leyva and Simón Berthold led the small guerrilla group across the border on the cold, snowy night of January 28th. The group splits into three sections and approaches the town from three sides, easily capturing Mexicali by the time the sun rose on January 29th, 110 years ago today.