First Lady of Mexico
First Lady of Mexico (Spanish: Primera Dama de México), also known as First Lady of the United Mexican States (Spanish: Primera Dama de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the unofficial title of the wife of the president of Mexico. Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller is the wife of current president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
| First Lady of Mexico | |
|---|---|
| Residence | National Palace of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico |
| Term length | 6 years |
| Inaugural holder | María Antonia Bretón |
| Formation | 1917 |
| Website | Gob.MX |
María Flores de Lascuráin, spouse of Pedro Lascuráin, was Mexico's and the world's briefest ever first lady, since her husband served as president for less than an hour.
Role of the first lady edit
The first lady is not an elected position, carries no official duties and brings no salary. Nonetheless, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with or in place of the president. There is a strict taboo against the first lady holding outside employment while occupying the office. Usually the first lady takes an important (ceremonial) post as head of the Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) ("Integral Family Development"). However, this did not occur during the Fox administration when First Lady Marta Sahagún founded the national philanthropic organization Vamos México.
Two first ladies have been active politicians: Martha Sahagún, who married Vicente Fox during his tenure (2001–2006), had been a party activist and candidate for Mayor of Celaya on the PAN party ticket, and was briefly considered a contender for PAN's nomination to run for either the Jefe de Gobierno (Governor of the Federal District) or President in the 2006 election. Margarita Zavala, wife of Felipe Calderón, was a deputy from 2003 to 2006. In the 2018 Mexican general election, she was a pre-candidate for the nomination of PAN, and then she briefly ran as an independent.[1]
Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, wife of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, abolished the post stating it was a "role with no concrete functions or responsibilities. She also said she wanted to "serve Mexico any way she can", and that the title "First Lady" is "somewhat classist".[2] She claimed there are not and should not be first nor second class women.
First ladies of Mexico edit
| Portrait | Name | President | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| María Antonieta Bretón de Victoria | Guadalupe Victoria | 1824–1829 | |
| María Guadalupe Hernández de Guerrero | Vicente Guerrero | 1829 | |
| María de Jesús Carranco de Bocanegra | José María Bocanegra | 1829 | |
| Guadalupe Quesada de Bustamante | Anastasio Bustamante | 1830–1832, 1837–1839, 1839–1841 | |
| Joaquina Bezares de Múzquiz | Melchor Múzquiz | 1832 | |
| María Juliana Azcárate de Gómez Pedraza | Manuel Gómez Pedraza | 1832–1833 | |
| Isabel López de Gómez Farias | Valentín Gómez Farías | 1833–1834, 1846–1847 | |
| Inés García de López de Santa Anna | Antonio López de Santa Anna | 1833–1844 | |
| Manuela de Trebuesto y Casasola de Barragán | Miguel Barragán | 1835–1836 | |
| Juana Fernanda Ulloa de Corro | José Justo Corro | 1836–1837 | |
| María Antonieta Guevara y Muñiz de Bravo | Nicolas Bravo | 1839, 1843, 1846 | |
| Refugio Almanza de Echeverría | Francisco Javier Echeverría | 1841 | |
| Josefa Dávila de Canalizo | Valentín Canalizo | 1844 | |
| Dolores Alzugaray de Herrera | José Joaquín de Herrera | 1844–1845, 1848–1851 | |
| Josefa Cortés de Paredes | Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga | 1846 | |
| Josefa Cardeña de Salas | José Mariano Salas | 1846, 1859 | |
| Antonieta Guevara de Anaya | Pedro Ma. Anaya | 1847, 1848 | |
| María Luisa Ozta Cotera de la Peña | Manuel de la Peña y Peña | 1847, 1848 | |
| Guadalupe Martell de Arista | Mariano Arista | 1851–1853 | |
| Ángeles Madrid de Bautista Ceballos | Juan Bautista Ceballos | 1853 | |
| Refugio Alegría de Lombardini | Manuel María Lombardini | 1853 | |
| Dolores Tosta de López de Santa Anna | Antonio López de Santa Anna | 1853–1855 | |
| Ángeles Lardizábal de Carrera | Martín Carrera | 1855 | |
| Pilar Valera de Díaz de la Vega | Rómulo Díaz de la Vega | 1855 | |
| Faustina Benítez de Álvarez | Juan Álvarez | 1855 | |
| María Baamonde de Comonfort | Ignacio Comonfort | 1855–1858 | |
| Margarita Maza de Juárez | Benito Juárez | 1858–1871 | |
| María de la Gracia Palafox de Zuloaga | Félix María Zuloaga | 1858 | |
| - | Manuel Robles Pezuela | 1858–1859 | |
| Concepción Lombardo de Miramón | Miguel Miramón | 1859–1860 | |
| Felipa González de Pavón | José Ignacio Pavón | 1860 | |
| - | Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada | 1872–1876 | |
| Juana Calderón de Iglesias | José María Iglesias | 1876 | |
| - | Juan N. Méndez | 1876-1877 | |
| Delfina Ortega de Díaz | Porfirio Díaz | 1877–1880 | |
| Laura Mantecón de González | Manuel González Flores | 1880–1884 | |
| Carmen Romero Rubio de Díaz | Porfirio Díaz | 1884–1911 | |
| Refugio Borneque de León de la Barra | Francisco León de la Barra | 1911 | |
| Sara Pérez de Madero | Francisco I. Madero | 1911–1913 | |
| María Enriqueta Flores de Lascuráin | Pedro Lascuráin | 1913 | |
| Emilia Águila de Huerta | Victoriano Huerta | 1913–1914 | |
| Ana María Gutiérrez de Carvajal | Francisco S. Carvajal | 1914 | |
| Petra Treviño de Gutiérrez Ortiz | Eulalio Gutiérrez | 1914–1915 | |
| María Concepción Garay de González Garza | Roque González Garza | 1915 | |
| - | Francisco Lagos Cházaro | 1915 |
Post-revolutionary era
Living first ladies edit
As of 7 February 2024, there are five living former first ladies, as identified below.
The most recent first lady to die was Paloma Cordero, widow of Miguel de la Madrid on May 11, 2020.
See also edit
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ "Margarita Zavala renuncia a su candidatura para presidir México" [Margarita Zavala renounces her candidacy to lead Mexico]. El Pais (in Spanish). May 17, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
- ^ "La esposa de López Obrador suprime la figura de primera dama en México" [Wife of Lopez Obrador abolishes the post of First Lady of Mexico], El Diario.es (in Spanish), August 4, 2018, retrieved August 24, 2019
- ^ President Obregón was assassinated just after being reelected and declared President-Elect, thus he was never sworn in, and therefore she did not assume the role and was First Lady-Designate from July 1, 1928 – July 17, 1928.
- ^ Since Vicente Fox was divorded upon assumption of the presidency, the post was vacant from December 1, 2000 to July 1, 2001, when he wed Marta Sahagún, who would then assume the role.