Francisco José Múgica

Francisco José Múgica Velázquez (3 September 1884 – 12 April 1954) was a Mexican military revolutionary, major general and politician.

Notable for being a radical ideologue,[1] he served governor of the states of Tabasco and Michoacán as well as the then-Territory of Baja California Sur and Islas Marías.

After completing his preparatory studies, he began working as a journalist, being a liberal contributor to several newspapers, including Regeneración of Enrique Flores Magón and his brothers.

Múgica, a great ally of Cárdenas, helped in breaking the Maximato by creating a crisis in mid-June 1935 by releasing anti-labor statements made by Calles.

With elections due to be held in 1940, Múgica was a natural successor to Cárdenas by being a strong leftist and believed in many of Cádernas's major reforms.

Cárdenas then realized that the candidacy of Múgica might not be well received by the country or internationally and that he needed a centrist candidate who was much less radical, could unify the divided population, and above all counter the rising popularity of Almazán.

After the 1940 election, serious conflicts, and accusations of electoral fraud after the victory for Ávila Camacho over Almazán, Múgica was an uncomfortable character for the new government.

Years prior to his death, Múgica was involved in various private activities and running a number of prisons, including the Islas Marías.