Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, a prominent Mexican politician and three-time presidential candidate, died Wednesday at the age of 92, announced Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Cárdenas was widely regarded as one of Mexico's most significant modern political figures and a leader of the country's left.
Born the son of President Lázaro Cárdenas, who nationalized Mexico's oil industry and welcomed Spanish Civil War refugees, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas began his political career within the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He served as a senator and governor of Michoacán before leading a democratic faction within the PRI. Following the 1988 presidential election, which he contended was marred by electoral fraud, he co-founded the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) in 1989.
Cárdenas launched his first presidential bid in 1988 and ran again in 1994 and 2000. His 1988 campaign is considered a turning point in Mexico's democratization process, despite his loss. In 1997, he made history as the first popularly elected mayor of Mexico City.
He remained a steadfast figure, resigning from the PRD in 2014 due to his opposition to the party's governance in Guerrero when 43 students disappeared. He also distanced himself from his former ally, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, after López Obrador took office in 2018.
President Sheinbaum described Cárdenas as "a man of firm principles" who led a "peaceful democratic movement that channeled millions of Mexicans’ yearning for change." She added that his "dignity and republican convictions remain an essential reference point for our nation."
Former President Vicente Fox acknowledged Cárdenas as a political adversary but noted a shared conviction for Mexican democracy. Former President López Obrador called Cárdenas a "pioneer of the democratic movement," stating that his influence made a significant impact on the country's political landscape and left behind enduring teachings and ideals.