PEDRO LASCURAIN
Name: Pedro Lascurain
Born: 12 May 1856 Mexico City
Died: 21 July 1952 Mexico City
Pedro José Domingo de la Calzada Manuel María Lascurain Paredes (Mexico City,
May 12, 1856 – July 21, 1952 in Mexico City) was very briefly interim president
of Mexico.
Pedro Lascurain was the foreign minister in Francisco I. Madero's cabinet. On
February 18, 1913, General Victoriano Huerta overthrew President Madero.
Lascurain was one of the individuals who convinced Madero to resign the
presidency when Madero was being held prisoner in the National Palace, claiming
that his life was in danger if he refused.
To give the coup d'état an appearance of legality, Huerta had Lascurain assume
the presidency. Lascurain then appointed Huerta to be his interior minister and
promptly resigned, thus handing the office of president over to Huerta. Huerta
called a late-night special session of Congress and under the guns of Huerta's
troops the legislators endorsed his assumption of power. A few days later,
Huerta had Madero and Vice-President José María Pino Suárez killed. The coup and
the events surrounding it became known as la decena trágica ("the tragic ten
days").
Lascurain was thus president for less than one hour. (Sources quote figures
ranging from 15 to 55 minutes.) This makes his presidency the shortest in world
history. Huerta subsequently offered him a post in his cabinet, but Lascurain
declined. He retired from politics and began practicing again as a lawyer.
Lascurain received a law degree in 1880 from the Escuela Nacional de
Jurisprudencia in Mexico City. He was mayor of Mexico City in 1910 when Madero
began his antireelectionist campaign against Díaz. Lascurain was a supporter of
Madero, and after the later was elected president to replace Díaz, Lascurain
served twice as foreign secretary in Madero's cabinet (April 10, 1912 to
December 4, 1912 and January 15, 1913 to February 18, 1913). In between the two
terms he was again mayor of Mexico City. As foreign minister he had to deal with
the demands of U.S. Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson, who was later involved in
planning Huerta's coup.
Lascurain was the director of the Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico City's top
law school, for 16 years, and he published extensively on commercial and civil
law.
Name: Pedro Lascurain
Born: 12 May 1856 Mexico City
Died: 21 July 1952 Mexico City
Pedro José Domingo de la Calzada Manuel María Lascurain Paredes (Mexico City,
May 12, 1856 – July 21, 1952 in Mexico City) was very briefly interim president
of Mexico.
Pedro Lascurain was the foreign minister in Francisco I. Madero's cabinet. On
February 18, 1913, General Victoriano Huerta overthrew President Madero.
Lascurain was one of the individuals who convinced Madero to resign the
presidency when Madero was being held prisoner in the National Palace, claiming
that his life was in danger if he refused.
To give the coup d'état an appearance of legality, Huerta had Lascurain assume
the presidency. Lascurain then appointed Huerta to be his interior minister and
promptly resigned, thus handing the office of president over to Huerta. Huerta
called a late-night special session of Congress and under the guns of Huerta's
troops the legislators endorsed his assumption of power. A few days later,
Huerta had Madero and Vice-President José María Pino Suárez killed. The coup and
the events surrounding it became known as la decena trágica ("the tragic ten
days").
Lascurain was thus president for less than one hour. (Sources quote figures
ranging from 15 to 55 minutes.) This makes his presidency the shortest in world
history. Huerta subsequently offered him a post in his cabinet, but Lascurain
declined. He retired from politics and began practicing again as a lawyer.
Lascurain received a law degree in 1880 from the Escuela Nacional de
Jurisprudencia in Mexico City. He was mayor of Mexico City in 1910 when Madero
began his antireelectionist campaign against Díaz. Lascurain was a supporter of
Madero, and after the later was elected president to replace Díaz, Lascurain
served twice as foreign secretary in Madero's cabinet (April 10, 1912 to
December 4, 1912 and January 15, 1913 to February 18, 1913). In between the two
terms he was again mayor of Mexico City. As foreign minister he had to deal with
the demands of U.S. Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson, who was later involved in
planning Huerta's coup.
Lascurain was the director of the Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico City's top
law school, for 16 years, and he published extensively on commercial and civil
law.