Leopoldo L. Verdugo Quiroz (born 1 March 1898) was a Mexican businessman, customs official, and politician affiliated with the

Institutional Revolutionary Party The Institutional Revolutionary Party (, , PRI) is a List of political parties in Mexico, political party in Mexico that was founded in 1929 as the National Revolutionary Party (, PNR), then as the Party of the Mexican Revolution (, PRM) and fin ...

(PRI). In 1954, he was elected one of

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

's inaugural Senators alongside Esteban Cantú, serving in the XLII and XLIII Legislatures of the

Congress of the Union The Congress of the Union (, ), formally known as the General Congress of the United Mexican States (''Congreso General de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''), is the legislature of the federal government of Mexico. It consists of two chambers: t ...

Early life

Verdugo Quiroz was born on 1 March 1898, in

Álamos Álamos () is a town in Álamos Municipality in the States of Mexico, Mexican state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. Historically an important center of silver mining, the town's economy is now dominated by the tourist sector. Designated a ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

. His parents, Leopoldo Verdugo Perrón and Natalia Quirós Quirós, married in 1895 and had 14 children. Verdugo Quiroz attended elementary school in Álamos, but dropped out of school and later fought in the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

. His father was a personal friend of

Álvaro Obregón Álvaro Obregón Salido (; 19 February 1880 – 17 July 1928) was a Mexican general, inventor and politician who served as the 46th President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. Obregón was re-elected to the presidency in 1928 but was assassinated b ...

and worked as a government official – at one point he was responsible for nation's military purchases. In 1921, he moved the family to

Mexicali Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the States of Mexico, Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali, Cale ...

and was appointed the tax administrator for the

Territory of Baja California Norte The Territory of Baja California Norte was a federal territory of Mexico that existed between 1931 and 1952. Its former area currently comprises the state of Baja California, located in the northern part of the Baja California peninsula. Histo ...

by President Obregón. In April 1922, Verdugo Quiroz was named the director of customs officers in Mexicali. He married Catalina Saldamando soon afterwards. Verdugo Quiroz subsequently worked in customs in the port cities of

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

and Matamoros before being named the Chief of the Mexicali Customs office in April 1932. He bought land in the

Mexicali Valley Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is h ...

and entered the agricultural sector. Verdugo Quiroz's businesses became successful and he joined a powerful group of landowners in the valley. He was able to amass economic and political influence in the region.

Political career

During

Juan Andreu Almazán Juan Andreu Almazán (May 12, 1891 – October 9, 1965) was a Mexican revolutionary general, politician and businessman. He held high posts in the Mexican Army in the 1920s and ran for the presidency of Mexico in 1940 in a highly disputed electi ...

's 1940 presidential campaign, Verdugo Quiroz served as his local campaign manager for the Territory of Baja California Norte. He was helping Andreu Almazán of the Revolutionary Party of National Unification (PRUN) challenge

Manuel Ávila Camacho Manuel Ávila Camacho (; 24 April 1897 – 13 October 1955) was a Mexican politician and military leader who served as the president of Mexico from 1940 to 1946. Despite participating in the Mexican Revolution and achieving a high rank, he cam ...

of the ruling

Party of the Mexican Revolution The Institutional Revolutionary Party (, , PRI) is a List of political parties in Mexico, political party in Mexico that was founded in 1929 as the National Revolutionary Party (, PNR), then as the Party of the Mexican Revolution (, PRM) and fin ...

(PRM). On the night of the election, Verdugo Quiroz was arrested in Mexicali, along with two other pro-Almazán leaders, for a shooting at the local PRM headquarters which resulted in Eduardo Garza Senande, the local campaign manager for Ávila Camacho, being struck in an artificial leg. The three were taken into custody but quickly released. In 1952, Verdugo Quiroz helped establish the ''Acción Cívica Baja Californiana'' (Baja Californian Civic Action), a self-called regional political party made up of prominent farmers, businessmen, merchants, and professionals. After

was granted statehood that same year, Verdugo Quiroz emerged as a pre-candidate for the

(PRI) nomination for

Governor of Baja California The governor of Baja California represents the executive branch of the government of the state of Baja California, Mexico, per the state's constitution. The official title is "Free and Sovereign State of Baja California" (''Estado Libre y Soberan ...

in the , enjoying significant support from the agricultural sector in Mexicali Valley. He was not chosen by the party to move forward. However, the ''Acción Cívica Baja Californiana'' was absorbed by the PRI, with most of Verdugo Quiroz's supporters following him to his new party. In December 1953, Verdugo Quiroz was cited in a newspaper column by journalist Alberto Rosales as one of five local political figures who might seek a nomination to represent the state in the Senate of the Republic. The PRI eventually selected Verdugo Quiroz and as its candidates. In the special election held on 4 July 1954, Verdugo Quiroz and Cantú were elected as the state's first two Senators. The pair were sworn in as members of the on 7 September after the election results were certified. They both served in the Senate through the end of the in 1958. Verdugo Quiroz served as president of the Public Health Committee, first secretary of the Social Security Committee and the Agricultural and Development Committee, and second secretary of the Administration Committee. In December 1958, Verdugo Quiroz announced his pre-candidacy for the following year's gubernatorial race. He held his first rally the next month, speaking to over 500 farmers in the Mexicali Valley to officially launch his campaign. However, Verdugo Quiroz was not selected by the party.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdugo Quiroz, Leopoldo 1898 births Year of death unknown 20th-century Mexican businesspeople 20th-century Mexican politicians Members of the Senate of the Republic (Mexico) for Baja California Institutional Revolutionary Party politicians People of the Mexican Revolution Politicians from Sonora People from Álamos People from Mexicali