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. The post is highly ceremonial and in fact once caused severe controversy when it was thought that the first lady took too much involvement in their husband's post. Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller is the wife of current president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

First Lady of Mexico
Incumbent
Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller
since 1 December 2018
ResidenceNational Palace of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Term length6 years
Inaugural holderMaría Antonia Bretón
Formation1917
WebsiteGob.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

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 (2002–2006), 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

Revolutionary era

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 Muzquiz 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 Echeveria 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 y Arrillaga Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga 1846
Josefa Cardeña de Salas 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 N. 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 Ma. Zuloaga 1858
Josefa Cardeña de Robles Pezuela Manuel Robles Pezuela 1858–1859
Concepción Lombardo de Miramón Miguel Miramón 1859–1860
Felipa González de Pavón José Ignacio Pavón 1860
María Dolores Quesada de Almonte Juan N. Almonte 1863
- Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada 1872–1876
Juana Calderón de Iglesias José María Iglesias 1876
Trinidad González de Méndez Juan N. Méndez 1876–1877
Delfina Ortega de Díaz Porfirio Díaz 1877–1880
Laura Mantecón de González Flores Manuel González 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 Manzanera de Lascuráin Pedro Lascuráin 1913
Emilia Águila de Huerta Victoriano Huerta 1913–1914
Ana María Gutiérrez de Carbajal Francisco S. Carvajal 1914
Petra Treviño de Gutiérrez Ortiz Eulalio Gutiérrez 1914–1915
María Concepción Luisa Garay de González Garza Roque González Garza 1915
?? de Lagos Cházaro Francisco Lagos Cházaro 1915

Post-revolutionary era

Portrait Name President Period
Virginia Salinas de Carranza Venustiano Carranza 1917–1920
Clara Oriol de la Huerta Adolfo de la Huerta June 1, 1920 – November 30, 1920
María Tapia de Obregón Álvaro Obregón 1920–1924 (1928[3])
Natalia Chacón de Elías Calles Plutarco Elías Calles 1924–1927
Hortensia Elías Chacón Plutarco Elías Calles 1927–1928
Carmen García de Portes Gil Emilio Portes Gil 1928–1930
Josefina Ortiz de Ortiz Pascual Ortiz Rubio 1930–1932
Aída Sullivan de Rodríguez Abelardo L. Rodríguez 1932–1934
Amalia Solórzano de Cárdenas Lázaro Cárdenas 1934–1940
Soledad Orozco de Camacho Manuel Ávila Camacho 1940–1946
Beatriz Velasco de Alemán Valdés Miguel Alemán Valdés 1946–1952
María Izaguirre de Ruiz Cortines Adolfo Ruiz Cortines 1952–1958
Eva Sámano de Mateos Adolfo López Mateos 1958–1964
Guadalupe Borja de Ordaz Gustavo Díaz Ordaz 1964–1970
María Esther Zuno de Echeverría Luis Echeverría 1970–1976
Carmen Romano de Portillo José López Portillo 1976–1982
Paloma Cordero de la Madrid Miguel de la Madrid 1982–1988
Cecilia Occelli de Salinas de Gortari Carlos Salinas de Gortari 1988–1994
Nilda Patricia Velasco de Zedillo Ernesto Zedillo 1994–2000
Marta Sahagún de Fox Vicente Fox 2001–2006[4]
Margarita Zavala de Calderón Felipe Calderón 2006–2012
Angélica Rivera de Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto 2012–2018
Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller de López Obrador Andrés Manuel López Obrador 2018–present

Living first ladies

As of February 2021, there are five living former first ladies, as identified below.

The most recent first lady to die was Paloma Cordero de de la Madrid on May 11, 2020.

See also

References

Notes
  1. "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.
  2. "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
  3. 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.
  4. The post was vacant from December 1, 2000 to July 1, 2001 (since Vicente Fox was unmarried upon assumption of the presidency), 2001 when he wed Marta Sahagún, who would then assume the role.
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