Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, 1934-2026

Cuauhtemoc Cardenas recently passed away at the age of 92.

Cardenas was a famous Mexican politician, a leftist leader involved in the transition of Mexico from a one-party state to an effective multiparty political system. Cardenas ran for president three times, was the son of a former president, and the father of a current official in the Sheinbaum administration.

Cuauhtemoc was born May 1st, 1934, the son of Lazaro Cardenas. Seven months later, Lazaro became the president of Mexico, his six-year term lasted until November 30th, 1940.

Lazaro Cardenas is one of the most famous presidents of the 20th century, famous especially for breaking up the haciendas and expropriating foreign oil companies to nationalize petroleum.

Cuauhtemoc Cardenas studied civil engineering at Mexico City’s UNAM, graduating in 1957. For the rest of his life he was called “El Ingeniero”, the Engineer.

Cuauhtemoc was a member of the PRI, the party which ran Mexico for most of the 20th century. He served as a senator in the Mexican Congress and also as governor of the state of Michoacan, where his father had been born.

From 1987 to 1989, Cardenas was a member of PARM (Partido Auténtico de la Revolución Mexicana, “Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution”).

In the 1988 election, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas was a candidate for president, opposing PRI candidate Carlos Salinas. Opposing Salinas because he believed he was too right-wing, Cardenas ran under the banner of the National Democratic Front (Frente Democrático Nacional) a coalition of small leftist parties.

Election day was July 6th, 1988. Here’s how Wikipedia describes what occurred that night: “On election day, 6 July 1988, Cárdenas was leading in the vote count when the government’s IBM AS/400 computer system allegedly shut down. Manuel Bartlett, Secretary of the Interior and head of the Federal Electoral Commission [es] (CFE), which was responsible for counting the votes, described the incident as a “crash” (se cayó el sistema). When the system was restored, Salinas was declared the official winner…It was the first time in the PRI’s 59-year history that its hold on the presidency had been in doubt, making Mexicans aware that the party could lose an election.^[20] Although Cárdenas could have incited a revolt, he refused to do so and preferred to let the outcome be decided at the polls.”

In 1989, Cardenas’ Frente Democrático Nacional became a political party, the PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática) and Cardenas was the party’s first leader.

In 1994, Cardenas ran for president as the standard-bearer of the PRD. This time he came in third place, after the PRI and the PAN.

Until 1997, the city of Mexico City was governed by a regent appointed by the president. In that year it was granted more autonomy and a new post, jefe de gobierno, was established. Cardenas ran for and won that post, serving from 1997 to 1999.

In 2000, Cardenas ran for president the third time, finishing in third place again.

In 2014, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas left the PRD and formed a group known as Por México Hoy (For Mexico Today), working to change the Mexican constitution.

In 2018, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), a former member of the PRD, won the presidency as standardbearer of his own MORENA party. AMLO was followed as president by Claudia Sheinbaum in 2024. Cardenas criticized MORENA for being “insufficiently leftist” and for failing to improve education, healthcare and reducing inequality.

Nevertheless, Lazaro Cardenas Batel, son of Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, serves in the Sheinbaum administration as President Sheinbaum’s Chief of Staff. [See Sheinbaum’s Choice for Chief of Staff a Blast From the Past].

Cuauhtemoc Cardenas died on October 28th, 2026.

In 2024, Cardenas’ old party, the once-powerful PRD, lost its national registration. See
Sunset of the ‘Sol Azteca’ – The Once-Powerful PRD Party Loses Its National Registry The MORENA party had won over many of its adherents.

Three generations of the Cardenas family served as Governor of the state of Michoacan:
1. Lázaro Cárdenas del Río  1928-1932

2. Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano 1980-1986

3. Lázaro Cárdenas Batel  2002-2008

President Sheinbaum tweeted this on the day of Cardenas’ death: “With deep sorrow, we lament the passing of Engineer Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, a man of steadfast principles who transformed the political life of our country…We send our most sincere condolences to Lázaro, Cuauhtémoc, and Camila, to his entire family, friends, and loved ones. Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano lives forever in the history of Mexico.” [Twitter X translation]