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Pedro Lascuráin

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Lascuráin and the second or maternal family name is Paredes.
Pedro Lascuráin
Portrait, c. 1910–1915
38th President of Mexico
In office
19 February 1913
(c. 45 minutes)
Vice PresidentNone
Preceded byFrancisco I. Madero
Succeeded byVictoriano Huerta
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office
10 April 1912 – 19 February 1913
PresidentFrancisco I. Madero
Preceded byManuel Calero y Sierra
Succeeded byFederico Gamboa
Personal details
Born
Pedro José Domingo de la Calzada Manuel María Lascuráin Paredes

(1856-05-08)8 May 1856
Mexico City, Mexico
Died21 July 1952(1952-07-21) (aged 96)
Mexico City, Mexico
Resting placePanteón Francés
Spouse
​
(m. 1890)​
RelativesMariano Paredes y Arrillaga (grandfather)
Juan Manuel Flores (father-in-law)

Pedro José Domingo de la Calzada Manuel María Lascuráin Paredes (8 May 1856 – 21 July 1952)[1][2] was a Mexican politician who served as the 38th president of Mexico for 45 minutes on 19 February 1913, the shortest presidency in history. The grandson of Mariano Paredes, the 15th president of Mexico, Lascuráin previously served as Mexico's foreign secretary for two terms and was the director of a small law school in Mexico City for 16 years.

Early life

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Pedro José Domingo de la Calzada Manuel María Lascuráin Paredes[3] was born on 8 May 1856[a] in the Rancho la Romita (now Colonia Roma) in Mexico City. He was the son of Francisco Lascuráin é Icaza and Ángela (Ana) Paredes Cortés.[2][5][8] Francisco Lascuráin was a wealthy merchant originally from Veracruz who had moved to Mexico City and married Paredes, who family was of Basque origin, established in Mexico in the early 19th century.[5] Lascuráin's maternal grandfather was Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga, who served as the 15th president of Mexico from 1845 to 1846.[3][4][5][6][9] The family was Catholic.[5]

In 1890, Lascuráin married María Enriqueta Flores y Manzanera, the daughter of Juan Manuel Flores, a governor of Durango during the Porfiriato.[10]

Early career

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Lascuráin (right) with President Francisco I. Madero (center) and Vice President José María Pino Suárez (left) at the funeral of Justo Sierra in 1912.

In his youth, he attended the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria.[4] Lascuráin then studied at the Escuela Nacional de Jurisprudencia (National School of Jurisprudence) in Mexico City.[7] He received a law degree there in 1880.[4][5]

He was mayor of Mexico City in 1910 when Francisco I. Madero began a campaign against the re-election of Porfirio Díaz. Lascuráin was a supporter of Madero, and after Madero was elected president to replace Díaz, Lascuráin served twice as foreign secretary in Madero's cabinet, from 10 April 1912 to 4 December 1912, and from 15 January 1913 to 19 February 1913. In between the two terms, he again was the mayor of Mexico City. As foreign secretary, he had to deal with the demands of Henry Lane Wilson, the United States ambassador to Mexico.

Presidency

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On 9 February 1913, a coup d'état to overthrew Madero, known as the Ten Tragic Days (Spanish: Decena Trágica), began.[11] By the 18th, the pro-Madero general Victoriano Huerta switched sides and joined the coup, capturing Madero and part of his cabinet. The president and vice president signed their resignations the following day.[12] Lascuráin was one of the people who convinced Madero to resign the presidency while he was being held prisoner in the National Palace and claimed that his life was in danger if he refused.

Under the 1857 Constitution of Mexico, the vice president, the attorney general, the foreign secretary, and the interior secretary stood in line to the presidency. As well as Madero, Huerta had ousted vice president José María Pino Suárez and attorney general Adolfo Valles Baca.[13] To give the coup d'état some appearance of legality, he had Lascuráin assume the presidency, who would then appoint him as his interior secretary, making Huerta next in line to the presidency, and then resign.

The presidency thus passed to Huerta. As a consequence, Lascuráin was president for less than an hour; sources quote figures ranging from 15 to 56 minutes,[14][b] making his presidency the shortest in history.

Huerta called a late-night special session of Congress, and under the guns of his troops, the legislators endorsed his assumption of power. A few days later, Huerta had Madero and Pino Suárez killed. The coup and the events surrounding it became known as the Ten Tragic Days.

Later life

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Huerta offered Lascuráin a post in his cabinet, but Lascuráin declined. He retired from politics and began practicing again as a lawyer. He was the director of the Escuela Libre de Derecho, a conservative law school, for 16 years and published extensively on commercial and civil law.[2] Lascuráin died on 21 July 1952.[2][7][16]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ There is some disagreement over Lascuráin's date of birth. Most sources cite 8 May 1856,[2][4] while Graziella Altamiro states that he was born on 12 May 1858.[5][6] Another source cites 12 May 1856.[7]
  2. ^ The time of day of his presidency is also somewhat disputed. Some sources say his presidency last from 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.,[3] while others state 10:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Lascuráin, un presidente tan fugaz como medio partido de fútbol". Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Biografía de Pedro Lascuráin (Su vida, historia, bio resumida)". (in Spanish)
  3. ^ a b c "Qué presidente mexicano duró únicamente 45 minutos en el poder" (in Spanish). Infobae. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  4. ^ a b c d Rodríguez, Pedro (2024-11-18). "El presidente que duró solo 45 minutos: la historia de Pedro Lascuráin". Architectural Digest México y Latinoamérica (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Altamirano Cozzi 1992, p. 23
  6. ^ a b Altamirano 2004, p. 17
  7. ^ a b c "Pedro Lascuráin". Instituto Nacional de Estudios Históricos de las Revoluciones de México – Unidad Bicentenario (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  8. ^ Ortega y Pérez Gallardo 1910, p. 38
  9. ^ Osegueda, Rodrigo (2019-08-05). "Pedro Lascuráin, presidente de México por 45 minutos". México Desconocido (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  10. ^ Altamirano 2004, p. 23.
  11. ^ Serrano Álvarez 2011, p. 151.
  12. ^ Serrano Álvarez 2011, p. 153.
  13. ^ "Procurador General de la República". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  14. ^ Braddy 1969, p. [page needed].
  15. ^ Lugo Morales, Antonio (2012). Los partidos políticos en México y la sucesión presidencial del año 2012 (in Spanish). Palibrio. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-4633-2281-6.
  16. ^ "Efemérides de Julio" (PDF). sep.gob.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-14.

Works cited

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Further reading

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  • "Lascuráin Paredes, Pedro". Enciclopedia de México (in Spanish). Vol. 8. Mexico City. 1996. ISBN 1-56409-016-7.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • (in Spanish) Altamirano Cozzi, Graziella, Pedro Lascurain: Un hombre en la encrucijada de la revolución. Instituto Mora, 2004, ISBN 978-970-684-097-4
  • (in Spanish) García Purón, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 2. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
  • (in Spanish) Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN 968-38-0260-5
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Political offices
Preceded by President of Mexico
19 February 1913
(c. 45 minutes) 		Succeeded by
Records
Preceded by Oldest living state leader
23 July 1951 – 21 July 1952 		Succeeded by
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