Felipe Carrillo Puerto
Felipe Carrillo Puerto (
1872-
1924) was a governor of the state of
Yucatán,
Mexico. He was born in the town of
Motul. He was a progressive who favored
land reform,
women's suffrage, and rights for the indigenous Maya. He had a romance with a
United States journalist, Alma Reed of
San Francisco, California, which was commemorated in the song "La Peregrina". Carrillo Puerto died by
assassination in
December of
1924.
Felipe Carrillo Puerto is also the name of a municipality and its chief town in the Mexican state of
Quintana Roo, renamed after the assassinated politician. The town is the south-central part of the state at 21.20° North, 86.72° West. It was founded in
1850 by independent Maya during the
Caste War of Yucatán under the name
Chan Santa Cruz. After it was conquered by Mexican troops in
1901 it was renamed "Santa Cruz del Bravo" before acquiring its present name. In
2000 the town had a population of about 19,000 people, mostly of Maya decent.