Adolfo López Mateos
Adolfo López Mateos (born May 26 1908) is the current leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the ruling party of the United Mexican States. He was sworn in as President in December 1958, and his term is set to expire on 30th November 1964.
Early-life
Childhood
Lopez Mateos was born as the youngest of 5 children, while his year and location of birth are heavily disputed. What is known is that he lived a remarkably hard life, his mother was a widow and during the Mexican Revolution he for the most part had to scrape with what he could work for, he studied in the french college, during that period he developed a tremendous attitude for boxing and other competitions which fueled his dreams to be a professional boxxer, he was known to be charismatic and a lover of hiking which led to him forming numerous connections, including meeting Jose Vasconcelos, one of his humanist heroes.
Early Adulthood
As Lopez Mateos participated in sporting and speaking competitions that took him across Mexico and Guatemala, he would be inspired by Jose Vasconcelos and joined his presidential campaign as a activist, he utilized his speaking to participate in large rallies, he became a representative of the anti re election convention in the State of Mexico and in 1929 formed the pro Vasconcelos student league, however this campaign would lead to a tragic outcome as one of his closest friends would be assasinated by government agents, as he was almost killed during the encounter he received a grave head wound that would later lead to severe migraines for decades.
In november 1929 the election came to a close leading to a overwhelming PNR victory with a hastily rigged electoral process, Lopez Mateos was disappointed by this loss and feared for his life as many fellow Vasconcelos supporters were persecuted, during this period he would flee to Guatemala for up to 2 years, only returning to mexico in 1931 to graduate as a lawyer.
Life in Politics
Lopez Mateos for around 10 years would especialize as a lawyer in agrarian matters. However in 1941 he would begin rising trough the ranks of the Secretary of Public Education, this would continue until the caudillo of the State of Mexico (Isidro Fabela) met him at a speech and was impressed by his abilities, soon after Isidro would become his mentor and use his power within the state to appoint Lopez Mateos to numerous important positions across the entity.
By 1946 as Isidro Fabela seeked to move onto other matters, Lopez Mateos would act as his replacement in the Senate serving until 1952, during this period Mateos would build many connections troughout the republic, including with figures like recently elected senator Gustavo Díaz Ordaz and future president Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, for Cortines he would lead his presidential campaign andu during his presidency would be appointed Secretary of Labor, during his period he enacted revolutionary reforms to welfare and social security and would make many connections to the people who would eventually form his cabinet, including Antonio Ortiz Mena and Raúl Salinas Lozano. As he effectively dealt with many of the issues during the presidency he would be appointed by Cortines as candidate of the PRI and thus the next president of Mexico in the year 1957.
Presidency, so far
Lopez Mateos would be inaugurated in december of 1958 with a strong cabinet and a defined government plan for his sexenio, however his first year was filled with trouble, as in 1958 and 1959 Mexico would be shaken by numerous general strikes defying the corporatist system and the PRI, while Lopez Mateos being a idealist at heart attempted to settle them peacefully, these negotiations went awry, and thus Lopez Mateos would begin using Gustavo Díaz Ordaz to go on the offensive against the dissidents, imprisoning and executing many of them. Despite the rocky start, the administration would oversee revolutionary reforms such as the nationalization of electricity, the establishment of proper welfare systems, the return of the Mexican left to politics and massive infraestructure projects which so far have earned Lopez Mateos the nickname of "The Great Human President", as 1962 begins he has a clear succesor in mind and his greatest achievement is at hand with the olympics. Will this golden era not just for the PRI but for all of Mexico last for the rest of the decade?.
In-Game role
Lopez Mateos faces a serious crisis right as 1962 begins which forever shakes up his faith in his chosen succesor to the presidency, however now that Mateos needs to consider his succesor seriously for the first time in half a decade he will need to test the other candidates competing for his attention, meanwhile Mateos will attempt to close the book on many of the policies left pending of his presidency, including dealing with some matters he may regret from his recent past.
In-Game Description
Adolfo López Mateos was either the child of a dentist and teacher in Mexico City or a bastard from Guatemala who faked his Mexican heritage to fulfill his political ambitions. The story is under dispute, with the later theory having special prominence amongst his detractors. However, the documents he provided in the only official inquest into this in 1946 evidentially was enough for him to be placed above suspicion. This minor speed bump did not stop his ascent from secretary to the State of Mexico's governor, to it's senator and president of the PRI, the main Mexican ruling party. From there, it was a mere matter of friendship and dutiful service to President Ruiz Cortines to place him as his successor, which guaranteed him an easy election not atypical for the PRI.
López Mateos' term was marked with a continuation of the economic success and stability of previous presidents overall. Land reform, the building of museums, expansion of healthcare and education, and the nationalization of the electrical industry were all major successes. And he was also able to keep Mexico in it's position between the Sphere and the OFN, which ended up serving Mexico well, and may even end up being recognized as the critical factor that prevented conflict between the two nations.
However, not all has been well. Relations with the PRI's Union support base have soured. And student groups collide with the government. Some are concerned the PRI is blindly running away from the policies that have been successful for Mexico. And now, Adolfo López Mateos must take all of this into account, in order to make his most critical decision: who will succeed him in the Presidency of Mexico?
Quotes
"I return the electrical energy, which is the exclusive property of the Nation, but do not trust because in future years some bad Mexicans identified with the worst causes of the country will try by subtle means to deliver the oil and our resources to foreign investors once again."
"To my left and to my right is the abyss.I am of extreme left within the Constitution."
"In Mexico there are no political prisoners, only criminals of the common order."
"The Mexican Revolution was the perfect Revolution, because it made the rich poor, the poor was made an idiot, it made the idiot a politician, and it made the politician rich."