González Rojo Arthur, essential to learn about Marxist ideology, they say in tribute

For those who are training as students, who want to know Marxist thought and learn how to study it, “the work of Enrique González Rojo Arthur is fundamental,” said Cristian Uribe, coordinator of the Marxist, Critical and Revolutionary Thought Committee, during the dialogue table. Poetry: Thinking out loud, dedicated to commemorating the 96 years of the birth of the poet, philosopher, militant and activist.

The main hall of the Autonomous University of Mexico City (UACM) was the setting for this emotional day that yesterday celebrated the life and legacy of a man who decided to give his pen to the service of ideas and social struggles.

Uribe stressed the importance that González Rojo Arthur (1928-2021) not only focused his work on intellectual circles, but also directed his thoughts towards students and those committed to social transformation.

Enrique remained independent of the literary mafias and power groupshe recalled when quoting the words of Graciela González, daughter of the honoree: This independence led him to be marginalized in certain circles, such as when he criticized the political ideas of Octavio Paz, which cost him to be excluded from events, anthologies and supplements..

However, González Rojo Arthur always preferred the cost of independence to any form of servility. Exchanging fame for the value of social struggle and the pen as a tool for that struggle is a thousand times more valuable.

Uribe did not fail to mention González Rojo’s deep connection with the Vallejo College of Sciences and Humanities (CCH), where he was a professor. He highlighted how the creation of these academic centers was a product of social struggle, which resonated with the teacher’s Marxist training.

Through his teaching, González Rojo Arthur built bridges between educational institutions such as the CCH and the UACM, of which he was also a part. His work transcended the walls of these universities and reached generations of young people who today recognize him as an essential reference. One of the greatest legacies of his work will be the collection of 12 thousand works that will form the bibliohemerographic fund Tres Poetas, Tres Enriques, whose formal announcement will be made soon.

David Elías Martínez Olguín, philosophy student, emphasized González Rojo Arthur’s coherence between his ideas and his life. He never turned his back on his duty or their voices. Fidelity to himself always characterized the poet.

His work, he assured, invites us to a committed philosophy that not only seeks to understand the world, but also transform it, a philosophy that rejects passivity and demands action.

The day began with an opening table in which Dr. Gabriela Torres, teacher Mercedes Rodríguez, lawyer Cecilia González and professor Alberto Martínez Oliva participated. The speakers reviewed the cultural contributions of González Rojo Arthur, in addition to highlighting his role as a Marxist thinker, his poetic work and his influence as a professor.

That he was the son and grandson of two equally important poets of the 20th century gave him a symbolic charge that did not go unnoticed in the interventions of the speakers and spectators, including his widow, Alicia Torres, and other relatives. Likewise, they remembered his political militancy and his ability to maintain a critical voice at crucial moments for the country.

In the afternoon, the table Word and poetry brought together the writer and poet Hans Giebe, along with Adriana Tafoya and Andrés Cisneros, who analyzed the literary work of González Rojo Arthur from a more intimate perspective.

The tribute concluded with the table Where there is memory there is future, in which Raúl Romero Gallardo, Graciela González Phillips, the journalist Luis Hernández Navarro and the teacher Jaime Ortega Reyna participated.