Manuel Velasco Coello (born 7 April 1980) is a Mexican lawyer and politician and a member of PVEM. He served as the

Governor of Chiapas The Governor of Chiapas is the chief executive of the Mexican state of Chiapas. The state constitution stipulates a term of 6 years, to which governors can only be elected once. It also specifies the qualifications for becoming governor: a Mexic ...

from 2012 to 2018. He was the first PVEM politician to become a governor. Prior to his governorship, he served as a state deputy,

Federal deputy A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-national ...

and

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

, each time becoming the youngest person to ever hold such office. Velasco Coello was elected as a Senator in 2018 and served his term until 2024. In the 2024 Senate election, he was re-elected for a term extending to 2030. He currently serves as the coordinator of the PVEM parliamentary group and is a member of the Political Coordination Board. Additionally, he is a member of the Belisario Domínguez Medal Committee.

Life and career

Velasco was born on 7 April 1980 in

Tuxtla Gutiérrez Tuxtla Gutiérrez, or Tuxtla, (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Mexico, Mexican southeastern state of Chiapas. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name, which is the most developed and populous in the state. A busy govern ...

, Chiapas' capital. He was elected to

Congress of Chiapas The Congress of the State of Chiapas () is the legislative branch of the government of the State of Chiapas. It was constituted for the first time after the state's accession to Mexico on 5 January 1825. The Congress is the governmental deliber ...

in 2001, becoming the youngest person to be ever elected to Chiapas' state legislature. In 2003, he was elected Deputy of the

LIX Legislature of the Mexican Congress The LIX Legislature (59th session) of the Congress of Mexico met from September 2003 to August 2006. All members of the lower house (Chamber of Deputies) were elected in the elections of July 2003 while members of the upper house (Senate) were e ...

representing

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

. At the age of 23, he became the youngest person to serve as a federal deputy. He left his Chamber seat to run for Senate, winning Chiapas' seat in the July elections. At the age of 26, Velasco set another history by becoming the youngest Senator in Mexican history. In 2012, Velasco ran on a PRI-PVEM coalition ticket in the 2012 gubernatorial election and won, becoming Chiapas' governor later that year. On December 9 2014, a video showing Velasco slap one of his assistants went viral. The video, recorded on a mobile phone, presents Velasco Coello behind a mesh barrier saluting people, when a woman dressed in red pulls his arm and the governor leads her to a young man walking behind him. After indicating the woman to talk to his assistant, unexpectedly, the governor slaps the young man in the face and, while walking, he is seen recriminating him as he follows Velasco. Velasco was forced to publicly apologise.

Personal life

He is the son of Leticia Coello Garrido and José Manuel Velasco Siles (1948–1988) and is married to actress and singer

Anahí Anahí Giovanna Puente Portilla (born 14 May 1983), known Mononymous person, mononymously as Anahí, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. In 1986, she started her acting career when she was cast on ''Chiquilladas''. After working on man ...

, with whom he has two sons. He is the grandson of the former Governor of

Manuel Velasco Suárez Manuel Velasco Suárez (28 December 1914 – 2 December 2001) was a Mexican neurologist, neurosurgeon, scientist and humanist. He became governor of the state of Chiapas. Career Velasco was born in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, in ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velasco Coello, Manuel 1980 births Living people Mexican people of Galician descent Politicians from Tuxtla Gutiérrez Members of the Senate of the Republic (Mexico) Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) Governors of Chiapas Ecologist Green Party of Mexico politicians Members of the Congress of Chiapas 21st-century Mexican politicians