Death of a Jalisco Cacique
This week, one of Jalisco’s most powerful community leaders took his own life, leaving questions as to how his absence will impact the politics in the state, especially ahead of the 2024 elections.
Guadalajara’s 21st Century Cacique - Raúl Padilla:
Caciques (to keep things simple – local political strongman bosses) have long dominated Mexican politics. In Mexico, if you google the word, cacique, the search results page is filled with articles about Raúl Padilla, his death, and his legacy. His name is accompanied by the word cacique, the epithet an attempt to succinctly describe the immense power that Padilla both wielded and embodied.
Raúl Padilla was a hugely significant figure in Jalisco politics. Now, in the wake of his death, questions are swirling about the power vacuum that his absence has left. While his accolades were many, Padilla is best-known for being the founder and president of the world-renowned Feria Internacional del Libro (FIL), but it was his role as the rector of the Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG) that catapulted him to the center of Jalisco politics. For context, public universities play a significant role in state politics in Mexico, a role that was even more pronounced from the late 1960s until the start of the 2000s. UdeG is the second oldest and the second most important public university in Mexico, following the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City. UdeG boasts a budget of $14B Mexican pesos, (approximately $731,411,475 USD) which is equal to the budget for country’s entire national electoral system. The university system is comprised of 15 different university campuses and over 70 high schools across the state of Jalisco. In 2022, the network of UdeG schools had over 320,000 students and nearly 18,000 professors. There are around 28,000 university functionaries and at the very top, is the UdeG rector.
The Making of a Modern Cacique:
Born in 1953 in Guadalajara to a politically active family, Padilla graduated from UdeG in 1977 with a degree in history and it was during his time as an undergraduate student that he made his first foray into politics, serving as the president of la Federacion de Estudiantes de Guadalajara. He held various positions at UdeG in the decade following his graduation and in 1987, he was named Presidente del Consejo de Administración de la Feria Internacional del Libro. Two years later, Padilla was designated the 43rd rector of UdeG and he led various reforms throughout his tenure, perhaps most notably the total reorganization of the university into the extensive network system for which it is now well known, specifically in an attempt to decentralize and democratize education and make it more accessible for the public.
The term, rector, is commonly used in Mexico in place of “university president” or “chancellor” and refers to the highest figure of authority at the university. At UdeG, rectores serve a term of six years and since 1995, the rector is chosen through a process led by the Consejo General Universitario, the most powerful governing body of the university, comprised of students and academics. From 1925 until 1953, however, UdeG rectores were directly chosen by the governor of Jalisco, highlighting the political nature of the role. From 1953 until 1995, rectores were chosen by the governor of Guadalajara from a shortlist of three candidates – this is how Raúl Padilla came to power. His term as rector concluded in 1995, but Padilla remained heavily involved in the university, and by default, the state’s politics.
Padilla’s Entrance into Jalisco Politics:
Because universities are politically important institutions in Mexico and given that Padilla’s appointment to the position of rector was approved by the then-governor of Jalisco, Guillermo Cosío Vidaurri, his ascension to the role of rector was just the start of his political career in Jalisco. Padilla’s political affiliations spanned the spectrum of political parties in Mexico. At the start of his career, he was affiliated with the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), but then became the leader of the Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD) Jalisco in the late 1990s. He served as the cultural director for Ricardo Anaya’s 2018 presidential campaign, under Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), and created the Grupo Universidad which, relying on public funds from UdeG, served as both a political platform and launching pad for state politicians. In 2018, Padilla launched Hagamos, a local political party in the state of Jalisco which defines itself as a social democracy movement with progressive and liberal elements. The party’s origins can be traced back to the political organization, Exigencia Ciudadana para el Desarrollo de Jalisco, which was founded in 2011 but renamed to Hagamos seven years later. For the 2018 Jalisco elections, Hagamos joined an alliance with another political party, Movimiento Ciudadano and in 2020, Hagamos was constituted as an official and registered political party in the state. In the 2021 state midterm elections, Hagamos candidate, former rector of UdeG, and cousin of Raúl Padilla, named Tonatiuh Bravo Padilla as candidate for mayor of Guadalajara. Though his candidacy was unsuccessful, Hagamos candidates won elections for five town councils in the state of Jalisco and two deputies in the state congress.
Making and Breaking Alliances:
The most recent chapter of Padilla’s professional career is linked to his early days as UdeG rector. Padilla’s predecessor as rector had been Enrique Javier Alfaro Anguiano – the father of Jalisco’s current governor, Enrique Alfaro, a one-time friend of Padilla’s but later, a significant rival. The fractured alliance between Padilla and Alfaro can be traced back to the early 2010s during Alfaro’s campaign for mayor of Tlajomulco and Padilla’s attempts to forestall his candidacy and eventual election. The real rupture in the relationship came during Alfaro’s term as governor when he decreased the UdeG budget by $140 million Mexican pesos (equivalent to nearly $800,000 USD). Some analysts hypothesize that this budget cut served as retaliation for Padilla making Hagamos an independent party (and subsequently competing against Alfaro’s Movimiento Ciudadano). Padilla and allies, though then not working at UdeG, but still closely affiliated, spoke out and led several protests. To retaliate, Alfaro announced in 2022 that neither he nor members of his party, Movimiento Ciudadano, would be attending the FIL – specifically citing the attacks of Padilla and allies regarding the budget cuts. The messy and highly public rupture between former allies came to a head at the start of this year, when Movimiento Ciudadano announced that the party would not form alliances or coalitions for the upcoming election in 2024, leaving Padilla’s party, Hagamos, on the sidelines in Jalisco.
Padilla’s influence and reach, UdeG and beyond:
Though technically no longer an official of UdeG, Padilla maintained close ties with the university and its associated systems of power and there was certainly a dynastic element to Padilla’s strategy. It’s said that UdeG and its extensive network, prior to the death of Padilla, was primarily controlled by five key figures: Raul Padilla, Carlos Jorge Briseño Torres (a close ally of Padilla’s who was appointed rector of UdeG in 2007, but committed suicide just 16 months into his term), José Trinidad Padilla (Raúl’s brother who served as rector from 2001 to 2006 and later was elected a federal deputy from the PRI), Itzcóatl Tonatiuh Bravo Padilla (Raúl Padilla’s cousin, who also served as rector from 2013 to 2018 and currently serves in the Jalisco state government), and José Alfredo Peña Ramos (the current rector of UdeG Tonalá). Padilla’s power in the UdeG system led many, particularly in the governor’s office of Jalisco, to question democracy and independence of the university – or the lack thereof, but those in Padilla’s camp, argued that these criticisms were just an attempt for the government to interfere in university politics.
Of course, accusations against Padilla, including corruption, abuse of power, and a mafia-esque power structure (in the words of President López Obrador) flourished in proportion to the expansion of Padilla’s power. Stories in the wake of his death reference his tentacle-like reach, touching nearly all aspects of public and political life, not just in Guadalajara, but across Jalisco. This reach includes 14 university-related businesses (with a total budget of over $500 million pesos), various hotels, a university-affiliated real estate agency, and both a radio and television channel which boasts a significant following and wields enormous influence in terms of cultural publicity.
Perhaps most significant, however, was Padilla’s involvement in the Feria Internacional del Libro (FIL), the biggest and most important book fair in the Spanish-speaking world. Objectively speaking, the purpose of the FIL is to promote a strong business environment for professionals in the world of books (authors, publishers, librarians, editors, etc) to connect with their audiences and customers. At the same time, however, critics argue that the FIL has been primarily a fundraising opportunity for Padilla and allies. Interestingly enough, online research about the topic reveals little. Articles highlighting the positive impact of the FIL abound, but critical pieces analyzing both the positive and negative impact of the book fair are hard to find.
What comes next for Padilla’s dynasty and legacy?
It's impossible to understate the wide-ranging and decade-enduring impact of Raúl Padilla in Jalisco. His influence, some of which was overt, but much of which remains hidden in the shadows of Jalisco’s political history, is undeniable and his absence has already left a gaping hole in state politics, not just in the next election, but in the years beyond. However, while Raúl Padilla led the charge and served as the primary leadership figure, he established a well-oiled machine and it’s easy to envision one of his allies – whether it’s his brother, cousin, or someone else from the inner circle – stepping up to fill his shoes. Padilla’s absence will undoubtedly reshape the political landscape of Jalisco, it’s just a question of how long and what form this reshaping will take.
Of course, there’s the looming question of the 2024 elections and which party will take control of Jalisco’s government - not just from the governor’s office, but also from elected positions across the thousands of towns in the state - and even more broadly, Mexico’s executive office. Without Padilla’s presence, perhaps Movimiento Ciudadano stands a better chance in state elections, now that a significant adversary is out of the picture. The behind-the-scenes maneuverings for which Padilla was so well known will certain look different during this election cycle now that Padilla is no longer here.
But perhaps most importantly, Raúl Padilla is a clear, tangible reminder that caciques still exist in Mexico and wield tremendous power – during their lifetimes and beyond. The question is: will Padilla’s political power and alliances withstand his death, or will they wither in his absence? Only time will tell.
A political cartoon from the Guadalajara-based newspaper, “El Diario” with the caption “taking advantage of absence.” It’s an image of current governor, Enrique Alfaro saying “What luck! Now I have everything I need to take over UdeG.” Published April 5 - three days after Padilla’s death.