Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, USA News (Mexico City): The Palacio de Bellas Artes is scheduled to receive the remains of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, the founder of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the first democratically elected head of government of the Federal District, who passed away on the night of October 28 at the age of 92. Mexico City Head of Government Clara Brugada confirmed the ceremony during an event in the Zócalo, announcing that it would begin at 11:00 in the morning. With this tribute, the venue once again serves as the space where Mexico bids farewell to its most convening figures, continuing a tradition that began in 1949 to honor painters, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and politicians who shaped the nation.
Juan Gabriel filled Bellas Artes even in his absence. The composer of Querida and Amor eterno died on August 28, 2016, in Santa Monica, California, and his remains were cremated. Two weeks later, on September 5 and 6 of that year, his ashes were placed in the lobby of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Thousands of people waited in line for hours to pay tribute to the singer-songwriter from Ciudad Juárez, demonstrating that the venue’s connection to popular grief does not depend on the physical presence of the body.
Frida Kahlo, Cantinflas, and María Félix: The Venue as a Stage for National Mourning
The first documented mourning tribute at the palace was for José Clemente Orozco in 1949. Five years later, in 1954, Frida Kahlo’s casket was veiled in the same space and draped with a communist flag, sparking political controversy. Diego Rivera passed through the venue in 1957, Mario Moreno “Cantinflas” was farewelled in 1993, and María Félix received her tribute with her casket present in 2002. Octavio Paz was honored there in 1998, while Carlos Fuentes and Chavela Vargas shared a tribute year in 2012. Carlos Monsiváis was received in 2010, and Juan Rulfo was farewelled in 1986.
José José and García Márquez: Farewells with Ashes
José José, the Prince of Song, received his tribute on October 9, 2019, also with his ashes after dying in Miami on September 28 of that year. Gabriel García Márquez had a similar journey; the Colombian writer died in Mexico City in April 2014, and his ashes were brought to the palace. This underscored that the venue is not reserved exclusively for Mexican-born citizens, provided the figure left a deep imprint on the country. José Agustín, a founder of the literature of the Onda, was the most recent to receive such a tribute with ashes in June 2024.
Silvia Pinal and Ignacio López Tarso: Recent Casket Tributes
In 2023, actor Ignacio López Tarso was farewelled with his physical body present at the palace, followed a year later by actress Silvia Pinal, a reference in Mexican cinema, theater, and television for over six decades. Sculptor María Lagunes was also honored in 2024, and playwright Luisa Josefina Hernández in 2023. The full list spans disciplines from painting to journalism and music to literature, including David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rosario Castellanos, Rufino Tamayo, Leonora Carrington, Francisco Toledo, Miguel León-Portilla, Julio Scherer García, and Vicente Leñero. The arrival of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas marks the first time a politician of his trajectory has occupied the space in recent times.
