Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, a prominent figure in Mexico’s left‑wing politics, died at the age of 92 on Wednesday. The former governor of Michoacán, the first democratically elected head of government of Mexico City, and a three‑time presidential candidate (1988, 1994, 2000) passed away in Mexico City, according to statements from Mexican politicians and media outlets. No official cause of death has been released by his family. Cárdenas was a key architect of the opposition to the long‑dominated Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). After breaking with the PRI in the 1980s, he helped found the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) in 1989. He led the PRD to become the main electoral platform for Mexico’s left for several decades. In 1997, he became the first mayor of Mexico City elected by popular vote, a milestone in the country’s democratic transition. President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her deep sorrow over the loss. In a social‑media message she said: “With deep sorrow we mourn the passing of engineer Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, a man of firm principles who transformed the political life of our country. His dignity and republican conviction remain an indispensable reference for our nation.” Cárdenas was the son of former president Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (1934‑1940). His early career was within the PRI, but his departure in the 1980s defined his legacy as a champion of democratic reform and institutionalization of the left in Mexico. His death marks the end of an era for a politician who played a central role in opening Mexico’s political system and establishing a credible opposition.
Article source: De Ultimo Minuto | Image credit: De Ultimo Minuto