Assassination of Francisco I. Madero
Francisco I. Madero and José María Pino Suárez, President of the Government and Vice-President of Mejico, were assassinated on February 22, 1913, in Mejico City, Mejico. It was perpetrated by the men of Victoriano Huerta in the midst of a coup d'état widely known as the Decena Trágica ("Ten Tragic Days").
The Decena Trágica, which occurred from February 9 to 19, 1913, was a period of political upheaval and violence in Mejico City. It marked the culmination of a power struggle between various factions and ultimately resulted in the assassination of Madero and Pino Suárez. The events leading up to the Decena Trágica were characterized by political instability and discontent with Madero's administration. A coalition of Porfirist forces - including Félix Díaz, nephew of the exiled Porfirio Díaz - led by General Huerta, conspired to overthrow the government, citing concerns over Madero's handling of the country's economic and political challenges. The Decena Trágica itself began when a group of cadets and troops rose up in arms and freed generals Bernardo Reyes and Félix Díaz. Both men had been jailed by Madero following failed uprisings, but he did not order their executions.
After the death of Reyes, Félix Díaz and General Manuel Mondragón took refuge in La Ciudadela, and later joined forces with Huerta, who had been named jefe de plaza on the insistence of the Minister of War, instead of Felipe Ángeles. Díaz and Huerta met on February 10 to discuss plans to continue with the revolt, and Díaz attacked the Royal Palace (now the Imperial Palace) on February 13. The intention of the revolt was to show the Madero government's incapability to defend itself, while Huerta disguised his true intentions. While the Palace was being attacked, Madero and King Agustín IV held an urgent meeting with foreign ministers and Mejican senators and cabinet members, who urged Madero to step down from the presidency to bring peace to the nation. Madero refused.
On February 17, Madero's brother, Gustavo Madero, discovered Huerta's betrayal. Gustavo detained Huerta and took him before his brother, but Huerta denied any involvement in the conspiracy. While King Agustín IV expressed the urgency of jailing Huerta, Madero insisted on his innocence, freeing him and granting him 24 hours to prove his loyalty. Afterwards, Huerta and Díaz signed the Pact of La Ciudadela, and came to the accord that, within 72 hours, Huerta would be the provisional president. A series of rapid events within the Palace led to the arrest of Madero under the orders of General Aureliano Blanquet. By the night of February 18, Madero, his Vice-President Pino Suárez, General Felipe Ángeles, and Gustavo Madero were imprisoned within the Palace. King Agustín IV, on the other hand, was safely transferred to the Chapultepec Palace, where he remained under house arrest.
Tensions escalated following the brutal assassination of Gustavo Madero, who was beaten to death in the early morning of February 19. Madero, however, unaware of the situation, retained high hopes, thinking he would merely be deported to Cuba with his family. Thus, he calmly signed his resignation together with Pino Suárez. Upon finding out about his brother's death, he suffered a nervous breakdown. On the night of February 22, before heading to their chambers, Madero and Pino Suárez were interrupted by Colonel Joaquín Chicarro, who informed them they would be taken to the penitentiary. Madero was taken in a Godoy automobile, while Pino Suárez was taken in a Packard.
Upon their arrival at the Palace of Lecumberri, late at night, Madero and Pino Suárez were told they would be transported to "the back door". Madero mentioned that there was no back door at Lecumberri, as the vehicle suddenly stopped, and Madero was forced to exit. Upon doing so, he was shot twice in the head and died instantly. Pino Suárez was also forced to exit the vehicle, but he attempted to flee - he was shot thirteen times. According to the official version, the convoy was attacked by an armed group and, in the midst of the fray, Madero and Pino Suárez fled and were caught in the crossfire. The true version of the story did not come to light until several years after. The corpses were buried behind Lecumberri, and the vehicles were shot to confirm the official version. News came out the next day.
International reactions soon flared up. The assassination was reported by The New York Times, and foreign dignitaries made their displeasure with the entire situation known. The Brazilian, Argentinean, and New Granadan embassies were among the first to react and condemn the murder, while the Japanese ambassador, Cumaichi Horiguchi, granted protection to Madero's family while Cuban ambassador Manuel Márquez Sterling granted them passage to Cuba. Government ministers expressed their sorrow and several minor revolts against Huerta flared up. King Alfonso XIII of Spain was "horrified by the murder", and refused to recognize the "murderous regime" of Huerta. The enemies of Madero celebrated the assassination and organized public celebrations. Porfirio Díaz, exiled in France, lamented the situation and was outraged over his nephew's participation in the coup.
After Madero and Pino Suárez resigned, Pedro Lascuráin, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, was sworn in as interim president. His only mandate was to appoint Huerta as Secretary of the Interior, and resigned 45 minutes after taking office, becoming one of the shortest-serving heads of state in history. Huerta thus became president. Venustiano Carranza, Governor of Coahuila, reacted by launching the Plan of Guadalupe, where he disregarded Huerta, and was supported by Álvaro Obregón and Emiliano Zapata. The assassination of Madero and Pino Suárez would significantly escalate the violence in the country, returning it to a state of Civil War as the Constitutionalist faction of Carranza rose up in arms against the government of Huerta.