Carlos María Abascal Carranza (Ciudad de Mexico June 14, 1949 – Ciudad de Mexico December 2, 2008), known as Carlos Abascal, was a Mexican lawyer, business leader, and politician. He was the Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of Vicente Fox. He is the son of the writer Salvador Abascal, famous for his synarchist ideas.

Carlos Abascal
Abascal in 2003
Secretary of the Interior of Mexico
In office
June 1, 2005 – November 30, 2006
PresidentVicente Fox
Preceded bySantiago Creel
Succeeded byFrancisco Ramírez Acuña
Secretary of Labor of Mexico
In office
December 1, 2000 – June 1, 2005
Preceded byMariano Palacios Alcocer
Succeeded byFrancisco Javier Salazar
Personal details
Born(1949-05-14)May 14, 1949
Mexico City, Mexico
DiedDecember 2, 2008(2008-12-02) (aged 59)
Mexico City, Mexico
Political partyNational Action Party
EducationFree School of Law
ProfessionLawyer
Politician

Early life and education

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Abascal studied law at Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City, graduating in 1973 with a thesis entitled "Relations between Spiritual Power and Temporal Power", in which he stated, that "democracy is a farce that has been used by Freemasons in Mexico...to make a confused and disoriented majority believe that its will is being done".[1] He later pursued business management studies at the IPADE.

Biography and Career

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Abascal began his career as a messenger for Afianzadora Insurgentes and became a trainee in the legal area. He later became Director and CEO. He worked for Afianzadora Insurgentes for thirty years before retiring in August 2000.

Abascal has occupied different positions in private and social organizations. He has been president of the Fundación para el Desarrollo Sostenible en México (FUNDES), president of Vertebra, president of the Movimiento Social y de Administración de Valores (AVAL), vice president of the Instituto Mexicano de Doctrina Social Cristiana (IMDOSOC), and national president of the Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana (COPARMEX). As president, he promoted the New Labor Culture and facilitated dialogue between the employer and worker sectors.[2]

Abascal served in the Legislative Assembly of the Federal District from 1994 to 1997.[3] He also participated in the transition team of President Vicente Fox. He became one of the key cabinet members in Fox's administration. He served as the head of the Ministry of Labor and later the Ministry of the Interior. His primary challenge in the latter role was maintaining the country's governability during the 2006 electoral process. In 2000 Fox appointed Abascal as Secretary of Labor. In 2005, following Santiago Creel's resignation, Abascal was appointed Secretary of the Interior.[4]

He was opposed to some birth control methods such as abortion and the contraceptive pill.[5] He spoke out against "liberal" literature, including the novel Aura by Carlos Fuentes,[6] which Abascal alleged was inappropriate for his 13-year-old daughter and requested that her private school reconsider including in its curriculum.[7]

In the later years of his life, he was involved with the National Executive Committee of the National Action Party (PAN) and led the Rafael Preciado Hernández Foundation. Days before his death, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Universidad Anáhuac, marking his final public appearance.

Death

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Abascal died of esophageal cancer on the morning of December 2, 2008.[8]

Canonization

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In 2009, various Catholic organizations asked the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico to begin the process for the canonization of Abascal given his virtues and his ability to participate in politics without renouncing his Catholic values.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Jornada Archived February 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Work is for people and not people for work". Foundacion Carlos Abascal. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  3. ^ Camp, Roderic Ai (2011). Mexican Political Biographies, 1935-2009: Fourth Edition. University of Texas Press. p. 1. ISBN 9780292726345.
  4. ^ President Vicente Fox names Carlos Abascal Carranza to Replace Santiago Creel at interior secretariat, findarticles entry here
  5. ^ Mexico's Catholic Church raises voice in 2006 race Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Link is to WorldWide Religious News, but report is by Reuters
  6. ^ The Latin master The Guardian, May 5, 2001
  7. ^ Mexican Labor News and Analysis Archived October 7, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Vol 6, No. 5
  8. ^ Jimenez, Horacio (2 December 2008). "Fallece Carlos Abascal". El Universal. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
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Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of the Interior
2005–2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary of Labor
2000–2005
Succeeded by