Carlos Hank González

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Carlos Hank González (1927–2001), nicknamed El Profesor ("the professor"), was a Mexican politician and influential businessman. Originally a teacher, he was an entrepreneur who built political contacts along with a business empire, leading to various government and political positions at the state (State of Mexico) and national level. He was prevented from seeking the presidency due to laws requiring both parents to be Mexicans by birth (his father was German). He became a main powerbroker of then ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was also linked to illegal activities but was never arrested or indicted.

Carlos Hank González was born in Tianguistengo in the State of Mexico. He graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Toluca as a primary education teacher and from the Normal Superior (Teacher's College) de México as a professor of history and biology. From 1947 to 1951 he was a teacher at the Secondaria Federal de Atlacomulco.[1] To supplement his income, he sold candy on the side. He grew and exchanged his small businesses into larger ones, along the way adding names of prominent politicians to his list of contacts. He founded a business empire of banking and transportation interests, including the foundation of airline Taesa. In 1999, Forbes estimated his wealth at about 1.3 billion USD but other sources say that figure should be much higher.[2]

He married Guadalupe Rhon, with whom he had two sons. He is the father of Carlos Hank Rhon and Jorge Hank Rhon [2] and grandfather of Carlos Hank González who now heads the company called Grupo Financiero Interacciones.[3]

Hank González's political career began when he moved from Atlacomulco to Toluca to take charge of the of the State of Mexico's Departmento de Escuelas Secundarias y Profesionales (Department of Professional and Secondary Schools) as well as the Oficina de Juntas de Mejoramiento Moral, Cívico y Material (Office of Committees for Moral, Civic and Material Improvement) between 1952 and 1953. The following year he was in charge of the treasury for the municipality of Toluca. From 1955 to 1957 he was the presidient of the ayuntamiento of Toluca.[1]

His federal service began in 1961 when he became a congressman (diputado federal) for the XLIV Legislature. However, at the height of his political career, he served as the governor of the State of Mexico from 1969 to 1975 and was appointed "regent"(similar to mayor) of Mexico City in 1976. Federally, he served as Secretary of Tourism from 1988 to 1990 when he was then named as Secretary of Agriculture and Hydralic Resources.[1]

He was considered one of the leaders of the old guard wing of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)[3] He began as chief of the Delegación del Sector Popular at district, state and national convenctions of the PRI, then was a delegate for the party for the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche and Quintana Roo. He worked his way up to be a member of the Comisión Pólitica del Comité Ejecutivo Nacional, advising presidents of the party.[1] His death not only left a vacant place in the party structure of the PRI but it also signaled the end of a cycle in Mexican politics where the PRI dominated everything.[3]

Constitutionally barred from running for the Mexican presidency by a provision then in force which excluded those with a foreign-born parent from holding the office. His father, Jorge Hank Weber, was German) and was a colonel in both the German and Mexican armies.[3] However, Carlos Hank had great influence in the PRI party, culminating in the late 1980's and early 1990's during the presidency of Carlos Salinas de Gortari. There is speculation that he was behind the assassinations presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio and the ex-governor of Guerrero Francisco Ruiz Massieu in 1994, leaving Raúl Salinas de Gortari to take the blame in the latter case. However, none of this has ever been proven.[2] Other evidence of his wide-ranging connections came in the form of his birthday celebration every year on August 28, when "The professor" would have a grand party at his ranch called "Don Catarino" in Santiago Tianguistenco with thousands of invited guests.[4].

His most famous quote is "un político pobre es un pobre político" ("A politician who is poor, is a poor politician.").[4]

As mayor of Mexico City, he built the Eje Central and other projects designed to make the city more car-friendly, which had a negative effect on the livability and physical fabric of Mexico City.

Carlos Hank González was also known to have contacts with the brothers Benjamín and Javier Arellano Félix who ran the Tijuana drug cartel. One involves the assassination of Cardinal Juan José Posadas in 1993 at the international airport in Guadalajara, who was Bishop of Tijuana. Stewardesses testified that they saw Carlos Hank's son, Jorge Hank Rohn, in first class along with the Arellano Félix brothers on the flight that immediately followed the incident but no one was ever arrested for the murder.[2]

In 1997, Carlos Hank González suffered an embolism[1] and died in 2001 of cancer, spending the last few years of his life in the United States for treatment.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Hank González, Carlos". Enciclopedia de México Book 7. (1998). Mexico City: Sabeca Internacional. 1-56409-024-8. 
  2. ^ a b c d Julia Reynolds. The NAFTA Gang: Grupo Hank. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  3. ^ a b c d Carlos Juárez. Lideres Mexicanos El Valor de Conocerlos. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  4. ^ a b c Jose Martinez M.. Narco News Carlos Hank Gonzalez El fin de una era. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
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