| His Excellency José Maria Pino Suarez |
|
|---|---|
| Vice President of Mexico | |
| In office 25 November 1911 – 19 February 1913 |
|
| President | Francisco Madero |
| Preceded by | Ramón Corral |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Governor of Yucatán | |
| In office 5 June 1910 – 8 August 1911 |
|
| President | Francisco Leon de la Barra |
| Preceded by | Enrique Muñoz Arristegui |
| Succeeded by | Nicolás Camára Valdes |
| Secretary of Education (Mexico) | |
| In office 7 February 1912 – 19 February 1913 |
|
| President | Francisco I Madero |
| Preceded by | Miguel Diaz Lombardo |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Vera Estañol |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 September 1869 Tenosique, Tabasco, Mexico |
| Died | 22 February 1913 (aged 43) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Political party | Constitutional Progressist Party |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Camara Vales |
| Children | Maria Pino Alfredo Pino Camara José Abigail Pino Aida Pino de Moreno Hortensia |
| Alma mater | Escuela Nacional de Jurisprudencia |
| Profession | Lawyer, Poet, Statesman,Revolutionary |
| Religion | Catholic |
José María Pino Suárez (September 8, 1869 – February 22, 1913) was a Mexican statesman, revolutionary, poet, journalist and jurist who served as Vice President of Mexico (1911–1913), Secreatry of Education and Governor of Yucatán. He was a key player of the Mexican Revolution, and is especially well known (his poecy and life work apart) for his patriotic role during La decena tragica, where along with President Madero he forfeited his life in the pursuit of democracy for his country.
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Pino Suárez was born on 8 September 1869 in Tenosique, Tabasco to Alfredo Pino Camára and Josefa Baltasara Suárez. He was a direct descendant of war hero Pedro Sainz de Baranda who famously led the capitulation of the fort of San Juan de Ulúa in 1825, thus conquering the last Spanish foothold in Mexican territory, and effectively ending the Mexican War of Independence. Other members of the distinguished Baranda family include two of Sainz de Baranda's sons, Joaquín Baranda y Quijano andPedro Baranda (who were Pino Suárez's uncles). The former was a gifted historian, politician and writer who held the Governorship of Campeche on several occasions, as well as being appointed Minister of Justice by President Manuel González, a position he would hold for nearly twenty years thereafter. The latter, General Pedro Baranda would play a crucial role in the existence of the states of Campeche and Morelos, distinguishing himself as the first Governor of the latter. During the War of Reform, General Pedro Barranda supported President Benito Juárez. Another uncle of José Maria Pino Suárez was Joaquín Diego Cassaus, a prominent jurist, economist, politician and writer. The grandparents of Pino Suárez were (paternally) Tomás Pino and Perfecta Salvatiel. On the maternal branch, his grandparents were José Eusebio Suárez and Baltasara Abreu. At a young adolescent age, Pino Suárez left Tenosique for Yucatán, where he studied at the Catholic School of San Idelfonso, which followed a programme closely linked to the French Lycée. On 12 September 1894, Pino concluded his legal studies at the School of Jurisprudence of Yucatán.
From a young age Pino Suárez was a member of the Literary Academy founded in 1875 in Mérida. Here he would read and be influenced by the works of such figures such as Edgar Allan Poe, Victor Hugo, Alphonse de la Martine, Alfred de Vigny, Alfred de Musset, Théophile Gautier, Honoré de Balzac, George Sand, Charles Dickens, Lord Byron and Eça de Queiroz, among others. Pino Suárez acclaimed poetic works would first be published in the magazine Piminenta y Mostaza which included further collaborations from other recognized literary figures such as Manuel Sales Cepeda, Fernando Juanes and José I Novelo (who would later serve as the private secretary of Pino Suárez.)
Several of Pino Suárez's poetic works were included in the book Los Trovadores de Mexico published in Barcelona. This would catch the eye of prominent members of the Real Academia Española, the Academy of the Spanish Language, of which he would later be a part. Two of his most famous books, Melancolias (1905) and Procelerias (1908) are anthologies of his distinguished poetic works. It should be noted, that much of Pino Suárez´s early literary career was done simultaneously to his legal career. For three years from 1896–1899, Pino Suárez practised in his own legal firm in the capital before returning to Yucatán to carry out commercial activities with his wealthy father-in-law, Raymundo Camara-Luján. It was after his return to Yucatán that Pino Suárez's political career began with his founding of the newspaper, El Peninsular. His newspaper soon caught the public eye for its criticism of the Diaz dictatorship and for the bad treatment of workers in the Henequen plantations of Yucatán. At a time of close censorship, it was favoured by many for its veracity and independence. Not surprisingly, in 1905, El Peninsular was closed by the Government of Yucatán, and Pino Suárez faced prosecution. It was at this time that he retired to his large sugar plantations of Polyuc. Whilst exiled in his hacienda, he wrote several other works of poetry including Sursum and the poem he dedicated to his various sons and daughters.
While Pino Suárez´s was in Polyuc from 1906 to 1909, the name of Francisco I. Madero first came to the light with his publication of the book La Succession Presidencial en 1910 (1908). In this book Madero - himself a member of one of the richest families of Mexico - criticized President Porfirio Díaz who had for over three decades ruled as a dictator. Madero established in his book the necessity for clean elections in 1910, and for an end to the practice of re-election which throughout Mexican history had seen a series of caudillos perpetuating power. Amongst these caudillos were figures such as General Santa Ana and Porfirio Díaz. Madero´s stirring book lead to the foundation of an Antireelectionist party. In 1910, they would try to take power by constitutional means, thus returning democracy to the Mexican Republic. This party included prominent public figures such as José Vasconcelos, Paulino Martínez, Emilio Vásquez Gómez, Toribio Esquivel Obregón, Felix F. Palavicini and Luis Cabrera amongst others. The Antireelectionists began political activities in the states of Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatán.
It was during the visit of Madero to Yucatán, that the two met for the first time. The year was 1909. Pino Suárez soon became President of the Antireelectionist Party in Yucatán, where the conditions were propitious for the growth of the party. Here Pino Suárez enlisted of distinguished figures and personal friends, amongst them Calixto Maldonando, head of the freemasons. By 1910, the power of the party in Yucatán had grown to such a degree that by 1910, Pino Suárez would be elected Governor of Yucatán.
When the sitting Governor of Yucatán, Olegario Molina resigned the governorship to become a Cabinet Minister, he was replaced by Enrique Muñoz Arrestegui who was selected as interim Governor until the upcoming elections of 1910. Soon, the public began to gossip of Muñoz Arrestegui as the Díaz backed candidate. In those days, Presidential backing was an assurance of victory, and so it was to be. With Muñoz as Governor, soon the antireelectionist leaders were arrested. Pino Suárez, the antireelectionist candidate, managed to flee Yucatán. In fact, the Antireelectionists were the only opposition to the dictatorship. With this, and other electoral fraud Muñoz Arrestegui managed to cling on to power.
Pino Suárez escaped to his native Tabasco, and afterwards to the USA where he would meet with Madero. On 15 April, as the day of the elections came closer and closer, the members of the Antireelectionist club and of the Nationalist Democratic Party met under the chairmanship of Pino Suárez. It was at that convention, that Madero came out as the Presidential nominee of the Antireelectionist Party, and Francisco Vázquez Gómez as the Vice Presidential nominee. José Maria Pino Suárez came out of the convention as a nominee for the Supreme Court of Justice. This convention was followed by rallies, speeches, and propaganda which were swiftly ended with the order of President Díaz for the arrest of Madero on the 7th of June. The Antireelectionists had tried to gain power legally and pacifically. The Government had not allowed them to follow this strategy. Thus, Madero and his party were faced with no option by revolution, as Madero proclaimed "force must be met by force!".
At around the same time that Madero was arrested, people in Valladolid, Yucatán, held a massive protest against the electoral fraud of Muñoz Arrestegui. Pino Suárez´s duty was to return to his native south and penetrate Yucatán with the ideas of democracy. Although Pino Suárez had to flee to British Honduras (Belize) in order to escape prosecution from the Government, from outside of the country he still lead the revolution from without. In this manner while Madero ignited revolution from prison in the South, Pino Suárez assured victory in the South.
Shortly after the imprisonment of Madero and the exile of Pino Suárez to British Honduras, Díaz, having rid himself of the only effective opposition (the antireelectionists) won the presidency for yet another term. It was at around this time that Madero, with the help of his very wealthy and influential father managed to escape prison in San Luis Potosí, and flee across the border to San Antonio, Texas. It was here in the United States that he issued the famous plan of San Luis Potosí calling the Mexican people to raise arms against oppression. Thus, for the first time since 1810 (one hundred years before) people of all classes im society rose against the dictatorship. Madero was quick to note the elections of 1910, by which Díaz had won to be null and void and declared himself to be the rightful President, thus forming a Government in Ciudad Juárez. Pino Suárez was invited to join this government as Minister of Justice. Thus risking his own life, Pino Suárez went to Ciudad Juárez with Madero. If either was to fall into the abyss, they were to do it together. The fall of Ciudad Juárez was a step too far for President Díaz. On May 1911, he called a council for peace. Representing the revolutionary cause in this council were Madero, Vázquez Gómez and Pino Suárez. The council called for the resignation of Díaz and for new and fair elections to be held later in 1911. Until these elections were held, the council agreed that León de la Barra, one of Díaz's men would remain as interim President. Díaz having resigned fled to exile in Paris. It was, by popular will, the end of the dictatorship.
Following the council of peace, several of Diaz's Governors who had won by electoral fraud were forced to resign. Amongst these was Muñoz Arrestegui, Pino Suárez´s old rival to the governorship. With Muñoz gone the people called on to Pino Suárez to serve as interim Governor of Yucatán. Once in power, Pino Suárez set about calling for several reforms to a province that had suffered heavily during the revolution. Amongst these reforms was a law to reform rural education which amongst thing decreed pensions for teachers and attempted to help stop illiteracy in the country. Several prisoners who had committed minor crimes and showed to be reeducated were also pardoned as a sign of good will and justice. This went hand in hand with other legal reforms to stop several corrupt practices, and fight vengeful justice. Steps were quickly taken for agrarian reform, although this would be a process which would last a long time. Interestingly, Pino Suárez also called for the protection of lobster which was quickly becoming extinct. For an interim Governor, these reforms were several. However, Pino Suárez prmised to do more should he be elected to governorship in elections to be held later that year. A man of immense energy, idealism, honesty and resolution, not surprisingly Pino Suárez won the Gubernatorial elections of September 1911. At last he was Governor of Yucatán by the will of the people. However, as we shall see, Pino Suárez did not last long as executive of the state of Yucatán, as he was destined for even greater things. In November 1911 he would resign this post to become Vice President of the Republic of Mexico, leaving behind his brother in law, Dr. Nicolas Vales Camara to remain as Governor of Yucatán in his absence.
Although the convention of 1910 presided by Pino Suárez had nominated Madero as President and Vázquez Gómez as Vice President, the situation by 1911 had changed. Causing much controversy, to this date, the convention of the newly created Progressive Constitutional Party (formally Antireelectionist Party) nominated Pino Suárez to be their Vice Presidential candidate instead of Vasquez Gomez. Winning the cleanest election in Mexican history by a clear and comfortable majority, by November Madero and Pino Suárez were inaugurated President and Vice President of the Republic by popular mandate. In February 1912, Madero also appointed him simultaneously to the cabinet post of Secretario de Educacion y Bellas Artes (Secretary of Education and the Arts). In such a post, Pino Suárez showed his real concern for education as a necessity for the progress of the nation. He would work tirelessly to bring literacy to the most remote parts of the country, a job for which he was later praised by his twentieth century successor José Vasconcelos. Pino Suárez education system called for a secular and intensive programme funded by the state. During his time as Secretary of Education, the Escuela Libre de Derecho was formed as a break away from the National School of Jurisprudence which was headed by Pino Suárez appointed rector, Luis Cabrera.
The Revolution of 1910 had been thought of as a means of overthrowing the dictator and establishing democracy. However, the result of it was very different from the intention causing widespread social upheaval. Although Madero tried to govern in the most constitutional, just and democratic of ways, several reactionary elements within the country wanted a return to the ways of the old Díaz dictatorship. With Porfirio Díaz a broken man exiled in Europe, his nephew, Felix Diaz was seen as a natural successor. Throughout Madero´s government several rebellions were crushed, their leaders jailed. However, Madero never allowed the death penalty for any of the usurpers. In 1913, General Manuel Mondragon attacked the prison were rebels Bernardo Reyes and Felix Díaz were held, with the purpose of liberating them. With these three Generals allied against the Government, the ten tragic days (la decena tragica) would begin.
Accompanied by Pino Suárez, Gustavo Madero and the cabinet, Madero personally lead an army from the Castle of Chapultepec, where he resided, to the National Palace, the seat of the executive which was being attacked by the usurping generals. Soon the usurpers were forced to retire to la ciudadela, and area storing ammunition, here they would hold out against the Government. At this point Madero committed a mistake which would cost him his life, he appointed the seemingly loyal General Victoriano Huerta to head his army. Pino Suárez had never trusted in Huerta, and soon his suspicions were to be proved correct when Huerta turned against Madero. With the help and support of the United States Ambassador, Henry Lane Wilson, Huerta would take over the National Palace. Pino Suárez at this time was offered to retire to the Hacienda of a close friend, but he would stay loyal to Madero to the very end. Both Madero and Pino Suárez had for long refused to resign the job the people had elected them to lead. However, now prisoners of Huerta, there was no chance of their Government continuing. With the false promise that they would be allowed exile along with their families to Cuba, Madero and Pino Suárez resigned their respective jobs. The resignation, however, were not given to Huerta but to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Pedro Lascurain. He was instructed not to hand the resignations over until Madero and Pino Suárez were aboard the cruiser Cuba which would take them to exile in the island of Cuba along with their families. However, Lascurain too proved a traitor and is, to this day, remembered by Mexican history as a weak willed man and an imbecile. Handing the resignations in immediately to the Congress, these were accepted. Lascurain, as Secretary of Foreign Affairs succeeded as President. He would last a mere 45 minutes, long enough to establish Huerta as his successor.
No longer President and Vice President, Madero and Pino Suárez held few hopes of being allowed their promised exile. Before his death, Pino Suárez is quoted as saying in his last letter ever written, addressed to Serapio Rendón (the famous jurist) "we shall be greater in death than we were ever in life". This proved to be true. They had attempted to establish democracy, and now the prize for their labours was to be death. On 22 February 1913, Madero and Pino Suárez were assassinated before the Palace of Lecumberri, while supposedly attempting to escape. It was later proved this was false, the assassination had been planned and set up long before its occurrence. Pino Suárez died leaving several children orphans, and his young wife a widow. His body is now buried in the Rotunda de los Hombres Illustres, after having died in the pursuit of Liberty and Democracy for Mexico. In the same site are the bodies of several of his distinguished ancestors who gave so much to Mexico. Not surprisingly, to this day, he is considered a national hero and several streets and public places in Mexico are named after him, including a main street in central Mexico City and Pino Suárez station on the Mexico City Metro. He was the last vice president of Mexico.
In 1896, Pino Suárez married to Maria Camara Vales, a scion of the old Camara family of "noble and impeccable lineage" which are part of the divine caste of Yucatán. They were a happy couple and had six children, all of whom were orphaned after the infamous events of la decena tragica. The oldest Maria (Mimi), was 15, the youngest, Jordelia was 3 months old. Their other children were Alfredo, José Abigail, Aida, and Hortensia. Widowed and peniless (the revolution had consumed all of their family's assets and estates), Maria Carmen Vales was forced to go to Yucatán, where her brother, Nicola Camara Vales was Governor (her husband's successor). In 1969, Maria Camara Vales was honoured with the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor by the Mexican Congress.