The first lady of Mexico () or first gentleman of Mexico () is the informal title held by the spouse of the president of Mexico, concurrent with the president's term of office.

The position has no legal foundation and was originally started as a courtesy title. However, several holders of the title have taken on ceremonial roles during the presidential tenure of their spouses and have used the position to advocate for various causes.

Jesús María Tarriba is the current First Gentleman of Mexico as the husband of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.

Role

The first lady or first gentleman is not an elected position, carries no official duties and brings no salary. Nonetheless, the title holder attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with or in place of the president. There is a strict taboo against the president's spouse holding outside employment during the president's sexenio. Traditionally, the first lady took 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.

History

Two first ladies have been active politicians: Martha Sahagún, who married Vicente Fox during his tenure (2001–2006), 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.

Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller (2018 to 2024), wife of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, abstained from using the title of first lady. She stated 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". Gutiérrez Müller also refused the position as head of the National DIF.

List of first ladies and gentlemen of Mexico Revolutionary era Portrait Name President Period - 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 Múzquiz 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 Echeverría 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 Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga 1846 Josefa Cardeña de Salas José Mariano Salas 1846, 1859 - Pedro María de 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 Álvarez 1855 - Ignacio Comonfort 1855–1858 Margarita Maza de Juárez Benito Juárez 1858–1871 María de la Gracia Palafox de Zuloaga Félix María Zuloaga 1858 - Manuel Robles Pezuela 1858–1859 Concepción Lombardo de Miramón Miguel Miramón 1859–1860 Felipa González de Pavón José Ignacio Pavón 1860 - Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada 1872–1876 Juana Calderón de Iglesias José María Iglesias 1876 - Juan N. Méndez 1876-1877 Delfina Ortega de Díaz Porfirio Díaz 1877–1880 Laura Mantecón de González Manuel González Flores 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 de Lascuráin Pedro Lascuráin 1913 Emilia Águila de Huerta Victoriano Huerta 1913–1914 Ana María Gutiérrez de Carvajal Francisco S. Carvajal 1914 Petra Treviño de Gutiérrez Ortiz Eulalio Gutiérrez 1914–1915 María Concepción Garay de González Garza Roque González Garza 1915 - Francisco Lagos Cházaro 1915

Post-revolutionary era Portrait Name President Period Virginia Salinas de Carranza Venustiano Carranza 1917–1919 Clara Oriol de la Huerta Adolfo de la Huerta 1920 María Tapia de Obregón Álvaro Obregón 1920–1924 (1928President 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 1 July 1928 – 17 July 1928.) Natalia Chacón de Elías Calles Plutarco Elías Calles 1924–1927 Hortensia Elías Chacón 1927–1928 Carmen García de Portes Gil Emilio Portes Gil 1928–1930 Josefina Ortiz de Ortiz Rubio 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 Ávila Camacho Manuel Ávila Camacho 1940–1946 Beatriz Velasco de Alemán Miguel Alemán Valdés 1946–1952 María Izaguirre de Ruiz Cortines Adolfo Ruiz Cortines 1952–1958 Eva Sámano de López Mateos Adolfo López Mateos 1958–1964 Guadalupe Borja de Díaz Ordaz Gustavo Díaz Ordaz 1964–1970 María Esther Zuno de Echeverría Luis Echeverría 1970–1976 Carmen Romano de López Portillo José López Portillo 1976–1982 Paloma Cordero de la Madrid Miguel de la Madrid 1982–1988 Cecilia Occelli de Salinas Carlos Salinas de Gortari 1988–1994 Nilda Patricia Velasco de Zedillo Ernesto Zedillo 1994–2000 Marta Sahagún de Fox Vicente Fox 2001–2006Since Vicente Fox was divorded upon assumption of the presidency, the post was vacant from December 1, 2000 to July 1, 2001, when he wed Marta Sahagún, who would then assume the role. Margarita Zavala de Calderón Felipe Calderón 2006–2012 Angélica Rivera de Peña Enrique Peña Nieto 2012–2018 Beatriz Gutiérrez de López Obrador Andrés Manuel López Obrador 2018–2024 Jesús María Tarriba Unger Claudia Sheinbaum 2024–present

Living former first ladies and gentlemen As of , there are six living former first ladies, as identified below.

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

See also

List of empresses consort of Mexico List of heads of state of Mexico Politics of Mexico

References Notes

External links