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María Esther Zuno Arce (8 December 1924 – 4 December 1999) was the wife of Mexican President
Luis Echeverría Luis Echeverría Álvarez (; 17 January 1922 – 8 July 2022) was a Mexican lawyer, academic, and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), who served as the 57th president of Mexico from 1970 to 1976. Previously ...
and the
first lady of Mexico First Lady of Mexico ( es, Primera Dama de México), also known as First Lady of the United Mexican States ( es, Primera Dama de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the unofficial title of the wife of the president of Mexico. Beatriz Gutiérrez Mü ...
from 1970 to 1976. She refused to adopt the standard title of ''primera dama'' (first lady), preferring to be called ''compañera'' (meaning partner, companion, or comrade). She was known for her efforts to support women's rights and social welfare in Mexico.


Early life

María Esther Zuno Arce was born in Guadalajara, in Mexico's
Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal ...
state, in 1924. She was the third of twelve children born to Carmen Arce, a homemaker, and , a former governor of Jalisco.


Marriage and family

Zuno met
Luis Echeverría Luis Echeverría Álvarez (; 17 January 1922 – 8 July 2022) was a Mexican lawyer, academic, and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), who served as the 57th president of Mexico from 1970 to 1976. Previously ...
at the home of the artists
Diego Rivera Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...
and
Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by Culture of Mexico, the country's ...
, with whom they were friends. The couple's social circle also included the artists
David Alfaro Siqueiros David Alfaro Siqueiros (born José de Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros; December 29, 1896 – January 6, 1974) was a Mexican social realist painter, best known for his large public murals using the latest in equipment, materials and technique. Along with ...
and
José Clemente Orozco José Clemente Orozco (November 23, 1883 – September 7, 1949) was a Mexican caricaturist and painter, who specialized in political murals that established the Mexican Mural Renaissance together with murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro ...
. After a five-year engagement, Zuno and Echeverría, a law student at the time, were married on 2 January 1945. The groom's friend
José López Portillo José Guillermo Abel López Portillo y Pacheco (; 16 June 1920 – 17 February 2004) was a Mexican writer, lawyer and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who served as the 58th president of Mexico from 1976 t ...
, a future president of Mexico, served as their witness. The couple had eight children: Luis Vicente, María del Carmen, , María Esther, Rodolfo, Pablo, Benito, and Adolfo.


First lady of Mexico

For 1970 to 1976, Zuno served as first lady during the presidency of her husband, Luis Echeverría. She rejected the title of ''primera dama'' (first lady), preferring to be called '' compañera''. In this period, she undertook an intense endeavor to improve social welfare in the country, described by some as the greatest degree of involvement of a Mexican first lady since the time of
Eva Sámano Eva Sámano Bishop (May 5, 1910 – January 7, 1984) was a Mexican educator. She was the first wife of President Adolfo López Mateos and First Lady of Mexico from 1958 to 1964. Biography Eva Samano de López Mateos was born in Mexico in San ...
, the wife of President
Adolfo López Mateos Adolfo López Mateos (; 26 May 1909 – 22 September 1969) was a Mexican politician who served as President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964. Beginning his political career as a campaign aide of José Vasconcelos during his run for president, Lóp ...
. Her work as first lady included not only social welfare but also promoting women's rights and Mexican folkloric tradition. Zuno argued that it was not possible to support children without supporting the entire family, with the mother at its center. She asserted that women must not only receive assistance but also participate directly in the resolution of the problems facing their families and their communities. She implemented family counseling programs, primarily in communities with fewer than 2,500 residents that otherwise had little access to federal services. Other initiatives focused on
literacy Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, hum ...
, women in politics, and
midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...
. Overall she promoted 23 social programs, including home construction, orchards, reforestation, drug dependence prevention, mental health care, special education, sports, and job training. While her husband was in office, she accompanied him on foreign trips and made various visits on her own. She often wore Mexican traditional blouses or cotton dresses rather than more formal clothing on these and other occasions.


Later years and death

After her husband left office, Zuno retreated from public life. She died in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...
in 1999, just days before her 75th birthday, of complications from diabetes.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zuno, Maria Esther 1924 births 1999 deaths People from Guadalajara, Jalisco First Ladies of Mexico