85 EARTHQUAKE: HISTORY, DEATHS, CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025

The 1985 earthquake in Mexico City was a devastating earthquake with an intensity of 8.1 degrees on the Ritcher scale that shook the Mexican capital and neighboring states. It happened on Thursday, September 19, 1985 at 7:17 a.m. and lasted almost two minutes. But in Mexico City it was felt at 7:19 am.

Its epicenter was located on the coast of the state of Michoacán in the Pacific Ocean, at a depth of 15 kilometers. There is no precise number of the total fatalities caused by this earthquake. The dead are estimated between 3,629 -which was the figure recognized by the Mexican government in 2011- up to 10,000 victims.

The earthquake caused the collapse of some 100,000 houses and buildings, and left some five million residents of Mexico City without electricity and drinking water. The most affected areas were the city center, Tlaltelolco, Doctors, Obrera and Rome. Some 30,000 structures between homes and businesses were destroyed, and another 68,000 were partially damaged.

In addition to the victims and material damage, the earthquake also shook Mexican society from a political, economic and social point of view. The government and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) were overcome by the serious crisis that caused the earthquake.

Thus, the prevailing corruption in the construction system of the time for the granting of permits was exposed. The most palpable consequences of the 1985 earthquake were social, political and economic.

The gigantic social movement that was formed to rescue and support the victims gave way to significant political changes in Mexico, not to mention the change in construction regulations and the nation's seismic preparation.

History and events

By 1985 Mexico City was the largest conurbation in the world, with a population of 16 million inhabitants. Its disorderly and dizzying growth from the 70s at an annual rate of 4%, made it a metropolis on the verge of collapse.

The so-called “Mexican miracle” stimulated the spectacular migration from the countryside to the city and, with it, the unsafe constructions in a seismic zone. Construction regulations were very few or almost non-existent. The Mexican state in general did not bother to establish norms for the construction of buildings in the city.

Thus, little by little Mexico City was filled with informal settlements with improvised structures, from the center to the periphery. The strong earthquake exposed all these precariousness in the life of the crowded city.

Neither the city nor the government were prepared to face a disaster of this magnitude. Life came to a complete standstill, as all public services failed. Transportation was paralyzed, drinking water systems exploded, and even hospitals themselves collapsed.

Important buildings collapsed

Among the most iconic buildings that collapsed were:

- Headquarters of Televicentro (Televisa Chapultepec).

- The televiteatros (Telmex Cultural Center).

- Nuevo León Building of the Nonoalco de Tlatelolco Urban Complex.

- Buildings C3, B2 and A1 of the Multifamiliar Juárez.

- Hotel Regis (located in the Plaza de la Solidaridad).

- National Medical Center, General Hospital and Juárez Hospital.

Political and economic context of the country

Mexico had been designated by FIFA as the host country for the XIII Soccer World Cup to be held in 1986. Since 1982 the country had been suffering from a severe economic crisis that President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado tried to solve.

His government designed the Immediate Economic Reorganization Program to address the crisis. The objective was to combat inflation, protect employment and recover “sustained, efficient and equitable development”. Since the 1940s, Mexico had experienced a true economic miracle.

Although the government's plan achieved a decline from 117% to 60% between 1983 and 1984, the country continued to suffer economically. The loss of the oil market, together with the decrease in oil prices, produced a substantial reduction in income.

To this must be added that 37.5% of the country's budget was used to pay the external debt service. By 1984, the country's fiscal deficit was around 6.5%; Faced with this reality, the government reduced investments by 40% and current spending by 16%, which caused further recession.

However, the Government tried to mask the crisis by stating that the economic emergency had been overcome due to the restructuring of the debt.

Situation of Mexico City

The Federal District, as Mexico City was called, served as the seat of the federal government. For this reason, it did not have a proper local government that was directly in charge of attending to its growing urban problems; there was also no political interest in doing so.

These matters were managed by the head of the Federal District Department, the so-called “city regent”, who reported directly to the President of the Republic. At that time the official who held the position was Ramón Aguirre Velázquez.

He was in charge of other officials distributed in secretariats: Government, Protection, Roads, Works and Social Development, in addition to a treasurer, a senior officer, a comptroller and other lower-ranking officials.

The government was also paralyzed

The federal government of President Miguel de La Madrid did not know how to face the crisis generated by the earthquake. Everything was paralyzed. In the following two days after the earthquake, the president did not address the nation, which was waiting for government support.

Although the ruling PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) party tried to provide emergency services, its efforts were of little impact.

Help was actually offered to PRI supporters. The president was more concerned about the public relations crisis than about the victims and the disaster it had caused.

When he finally spoke publicly, Miguel de la Madrid downplayed the number of victims. He even refused to accept the international aid they were offering him.

The lack of an appropriate reaction with the affected population generated rejection towards the government and the PRI. This discontent had already been on the rise since the 1960s.

But the clumsy way in which the government handled the earthquake crisis was taken advantage of by its adversaries; thus, political change began to take shape.

The earthquake exposed the political apparatus. The prevailing fragility and corruption in the construction system was demonstrated.

Spontaneous formation of rescue brigades

Given the vacuum of political power and the lack of support for the thousands of survivors and victims, rescue groups and brigades were spontaneously formed; From there, a month later, the United Coordinator of Victims (CUD) emerged. This powerful movement put pressure on the PRI to really support the victims.

The reigning disorganization in the city and the degree of isolation that existed was such that the most absurd hypotheses were woven, to the point that various international media handled the information that CDMX had disappeared.

The rescue work, the care of the injured and victims, and the registration of victims were total chaos. Given these circumstances, the population had to organize into groups to offer help in the most affected sectors.

The aid was manifested in the formation of groups to remove debris and rescue people, as well as to support the feeding of the survivors and the rescuers themselves. It was an example of organization, solidarity and support among the population.

The emergency agencies and the Mexican army did not participate directly in the rescue of victims; They only limited themselves to monitoring the affected areas.

How many dead were there?

It was not possible to specify the exact number of deaths caused by the earthquake in Mexico in 1985. The Secretary of National Defense, in a report issued on September 20 - a day after the earthquake - calculated the number of victims in 2000. For his part, the regent of the city, Ramón Aguirre Velásquez, spoke of 2,500 deaths.

The Mexican Institute of Social Security estimated the number of deaths in the city between 3,000 and 6,000. The newspaper El Universal de México, in a recent study in 2015, mentions that the figure was 10,000 deaths, while the Mexican Red Cross estimates at about 10,000 15,000 loss of human life.

Many people were able to be rescued by the rescue brigades and groups that were formed. Most of these people were inhabitants of other areas of the city, who were not affected and supported the rescue efforts.

Medical treatment of the thousands of injured was more difficult to carry out mainly because many hospitals were destroyed or affected by the earthquake. Journalists and eyewitnesses of the devastation believe that the number of victims could have reached 30 to 40 thousand people

Political, social and economic consequences

Policies

At least in the political aspect, it is considered that the contemporary history of Mexico was divided from this event.

The earthquake generated a political earthquake within the Mexican government system, until then dominated by the PRI. This party, and the power structure it had built for 70 years, was exposed.

The formation of rescue groups and civilian brigades by the population created various pressure groups. President Miguel de la Madrid did not allow the participation of the military forces in the rescue efforts. Nor did he accept the outside help offered to remedy the tragedy.

This attitude of the government upset the Mexican population, especially the residents of Mexico City. The social movement of rescuers gathered in the CUD initiated pressure on the government and the PRI to take care of the city's poor. The ruling party had no choice but to give in to the just claims of the victims.

The changes that the earthquake produced

The PRI expropriated land in the center to prevent the eviction of residents by property owners. A year after the earthquake occurred, the government handed over thousands of homes to the victims. Immediately afterwards he put into practice the plans to rebuild the city.

The movement of the victims and the social unrest caused great steps towards the democratization of Mexico. The "perfect dictatorship" of the PRI began to erode by leaps and bounds, giving rise to new parties. The PRD is an example of these political changes.

Grassroots activists from the victims' movement allied with former PRI leaders for this purpose. Even within the PRI there were important internal movements to "overthrow" its authorities. With the earthquake, Mexicans realized that they did not need the government or the PRI.

Social consequences

The earthquake exceeded the capacity of the government and provoked a process of citizen organization in all aspects of Mexican life. Mexicans understood the power of social organization to obtain demands, as had happened previously with teachers and their teacher struggle in 1958.

The social repercussions of the earthquake were expressed in the months and years that followed in Mexico City and throughout the country. The demand for housing, through various protests and demonstrations, brought with it other conquests; Among these, the salary improvements for seamstresses and other sectors stand out.

The organization of assemblies in all affected communities to fight for their rights became daily. On October 24, 1985, the Unique Coordinator of Victims (CUD) was born, around which various groups congregate.

Among these groups are the Union of Neighbors and Victims of September 19, the Popular Union of Tenants of the Morelos neighborhood and the Peña Morelos.

Likewise, the Coordinator of the Tlatelolco Resident Organizations, the Union of Neighbors of the Guerrero neighborhood, the Salvatierra Camp, the Juárez Multifamily and others.

Another social consequence was the creation of an anti-seismic culture and of civil protection against natural disasters in general.

Psychological repercussions

A large percentage of the population of Mexico City was seriously affected psychologically. The most frequent symptoms were depression and collective psychosis, especially after the aftershock of the earthquake that occurred on September 20, 1985.

The government sent more than a thousand therapists and trainers to attend families who were in shelters and hospitals.

Economic consequences

The devastation that the earthquake produced was not only physical but economic. The loss of jobs is estimated between 150,000 and 200,000, since many businesses and companies - large, medium and small - were destroyed or seriously affected.

The companies that were left standing were also paralyzed due to transport and labor problems. The same happened with public bodies and educational establishments.

Legal consequences

One of the things that most caught the attention of the buildings destroyed by the earthquake is that most of them were of relatively recent construction.

On the other hand, the oldest buildings, even older ones, resisted the telluric impact. Such was the case of the Metropolitan Cathedral of CDMX or the National Palace.

This event put in evidence that, for its construction, the antiseismic norms were not fulfilled nor were they properly planned; In addition, the corruption existing in the official bodies for granting construction licenses was uncovered. However, there were no sanctions against officials or construction companies.

Building regulations did become more demanding. At present, materials that are lighter and more resistant to earthquakes must be used.

Protocols were created in the event of large-scale seismic movements and institutions for anti-seismic studies. Its job is to prevent or at least educate the population about these earthquakes.

References

1. The Mexico City earthquake, 30 years on: have the lessons been forgotten? Retrieved April 3, 2018 from theguardian.com
2. Mexico City earthquake of 1985. Consulted from britannica.com
3. 1985 earthquake: the devastating earthquake that forever changed the face of Mexico City. Consulted of bbc.com
4. 1985 Mexico earthquake. Consulted from es.wikipedia.org
5. Earthquake Mexico 1985. Consulted of nist.gov
6. What the earthquake revealed. Consulted of nexos.com.mx