Francisco León de la Barra

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Francisco León de la Barra

In office May 25, 1911 – November 5, 1911
Preceded by	Porfirio Díaz
Succeeded by	Francisco I. Madero

Born	June 16, 1863 Querétaro, Querétaro
Died	September 23, 1939 Biarritz, France
Political party	No Party
Spouse	María Refugio Borneque

Francisco León de la Barra (June 16, 1863 - September 23, 1939) was a Mexican political figure and diplomat, who served as interim president of Mexico from May 25 to November 6, 1911. Born in Querétaro, he obtained a degree in Law from the National University before entering politics as a federal deputy in 1891. In 1896 he entered the diplomatic corps, serving as envoy to several South American states, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. During this time, he earned a reputation as an authority on international law, and in 1911 he was appointed Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Shortly after, President Porfirio Díaz resigned, and de la Barra was made interim president until new elections could be held.

On November 6, 1911, Francisco Madero was elected president, and de la Barra stepped down. He served briefly as foreign secretary in 1913, and was elected governor of the State of Mexico in 1914, but he soon resigned to pursue a career in international law in Europe. He was President of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, located in The Hague and participated in various international commissions after World War I. He died in Biarritz in 1939.