Abelardo Rodríguez Luján, commonly known as Abelardo L. Rodríguez (; 12 May 1889 – 13 February 1967) was a Mexican military officer, businessman and politician who served as Substitute President of Mexico from 1932 to 1934. He completed the term of President Pascual Ortiz Rubio after his resignation, during the period known as the Maximato, when Former President Plutarco Elías Calles (El Jefe Máximo) held considerable de facto political power, without being president himself. Rodríguez was, however, more successful than Ortiz Rubio had been in asserting presidential power against Calles's influence.
Rodríguez left the political arena for a while after his term ended, devoting himself to travel and business interests. Rodríguez returned to politics a decade later, serving as Governor of the state of Sonora, retiring in 1948 and returning to his business interests. To date, Rodríguez is the only Mexican to have been brigadier general, president, and governor of two different states.
Early life Rodríguez was born on 12 May 1889 to a poor family in San José de Guaymas, Sonora.
When he was eleven years old, he briefly attended school in Nogales, Arizona. There, he was attacked by two older American boys named Owen Walker and Don Herrera, due to anti-Mexican sentiment. He was in line one day, when Herrera got in front of him and Walker behind. Herrera gave Rodríguez a sharp shove, throwing Rodríguez on top of Walker, who had a knife in his hand. Walker slashed Rodríguez through his left cheek, making an incision, at least six centimeters (2.3 inches), from the mouth upwards.
Later, as a young man, Rodríguez returned to Arizona to take his revenge. However, he found that Walker had died in a farming accident and that Herrera had moved to California with his family. After reflecting on Walker's tragic death, Rodríguez reconsidered and dropped his bid for revenge.
Rodríguez never finished his primary studies. Instead, he dropped out after the 4th grade to begin working in order to help support his family. However, he vowed to educate himself. As a young man he worked at his brother's hardware store, at a copper mine in Cananea, and as a professional baseball player in Nogales, Sonora. He worked briefly worked at an iron manufacturer in Los Angeles, California while attempting to pursue a career as a singer. After failing as a singer in Los Angeles, he returned to Mexico.
In Sonora, he briefly worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad before being discharged. Due to his red-green color blindness, he had failed his test to become a railroad conductor. In 1912, he became a police commander in Nogales, Sonora.
Military career Rodríguez joined the Mexican Revolution as a Lieutenant on 1 March 1913. He joined the irregular Second Battalion of Sonora, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Orozco. Rodríguez chronicled his military experience in his 1962 autobiography.
Northern skirmishes He experienced his first combat on 24 August 1913, at Cruz de la Piedra, Sonora. There, the Second Battalion forces ambushed a train carrying Federal Army troops from Mexico City, led by General Girón. The Norteños massacred the Federales and killed General Girón.
In late 1913 Rodríguez fought at Los Mochis and then at Sinaloa de Leyva. On 1 October 1913, in Sinaloa de Leyva, he received his promotion to Second Captain. On 14 October 1913, he helped take Culiacán. On 1 March 1914, he was appointed Second Paymaster. The Second Battalion was incorporated into the irregular Fourth Battalion of Sonora, which was part of the escort of General Venustiano Carranza.
Shooting incident and prison In June 1914, the Fourth Battalion was at Durango City in the State of Durango. There, Rodríguez was insulted by Captain Pedro Almada, who was his superior. The incident was unprovoked, and occurred at a dinner, at a long table in front of many officers. Rodríguez responded by standing, drawing his pistol, and firing one shot at Captain Almada's forehead. He missed, and the bullet hit a wall behind the Captain.
On 16 June 1914, Rodríguez was arrested for insubordination and sent to the Durango State Penitentiary. On 24 June 1914, Rodríguez was released from prison. A law intern, Jesús Dorador Ibarra, had been able to verify that due to his salary as paymaster, Rodríguez had actually assimilated the rank of first captain and, therefore, there was no insubordination. A judge revoked the arrest warrant and Rodríguez was free. On the day of his release, he was visited by Captain Pedro Almada. They forgave each other and became friends.
Entering Mexico City Rodríguez re-joined the Fourth Battalion of Sonora and continued serving under General Carranza. On 17 July 1914, Rodríguez received his official promotion to first captain. On 20 August 1914, Carranza and the Fourth Battalion entered Mexico City and General Carranza assumed the provisional presidency of the Republic. In late 1914, the irregular Fourth Battalion of Sonora was incorporated into the Northwest Army Corps of the Constitutional Army, led by General Alvaro Obregón. On 21 December 1914, Rodríguez was promoted to major, while on the railroad above Mexico City.
Battle of Celaya and Further Campaigns Against Villa On 10 May 1915, the Constitutional Army commanded by General Obregón left Mexico City to engage the army of General Francisco "Pancho" Villa. After some light combat, the Constitutional Army arrived at Celaya, where it fought the Battle of Celaya against Villa's División del Norte from 6 to 15 April 1915. During this battle, Rodríguez was shot through his right ear while manning a machine gun.
The Constitutional Army won the battle. On 25 April 1915, Rodríguez was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In June 1915, during fighting against Villa's forces near León, Guanajuato, Rodríguez was shot in the thigh. He was sent to Guadalajara for surgery to remove splintered bone fragments. After healing, he rejoined the Constitutional Army and fought remnants of Villa's forces at Aguascalientes and Saltillo.
On 1 March 1916, Rodríguez was promoted to colonel. On 2 June 1916, Rodríguez took charge of the Second Infantry Brigade of the First Northwest Division of the Constitutional Army. The brigade consisted of six mostly Yaqui battalions.
Yaqui Campaign In 1917, Rodríguez joined General Plutarco Elías Calles at his headquarters in Empalme, Sonora. They were tasked with subduing the indigenous Yaqui in Sonora, who rejected the authority of the federal government in Mexico City. The campaign used three flying columns: one under the command of General Arnulfo R. Gómez, one under the command of Colonel Jesús Aguirre, and the third under the command of Rodríguez (the Second Infantry Brigade). The campaign lasted three years, from 1917 to around 1920. During this time, Rodríguez was promoted to general.
Baja California Expedition Rodríguez was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, on 21 May 1920, while in Mexico City. He then held the position of chief of the Presidential Guards from 21 June to 20 July 1920.
On 21 July 1920, Rodríguez was appointed head of a 6,000-man expeditionary column, supported by a gunboat, charged with expelling Colonel Esteban Cantú from Baja California. Cantú had ignored the federal government, disobeyed orders, and acted independently; President Adolfo de la Huerta and Calles responded by dispatching Rodríguez to oust Cantú. Cantú went into exile in Los Angeles, however, before Rodríguez arrived from Mexico City with his forces. Later, in 1926 Rodríguez would allow Cantú to re-enter Baja California.Archivo General de la Naci n, Investigaciones Pol ticas y Sociales, (hereafter AGN IPS), Box 247, 7/011.3(722) 1 2-313.3.21.-A Nos. 637, 97, 17. Cantú returned to Mexicali, where he ventured into private business and continued to serve as a public official. He died in Mexicali in 1966.
Military commander of the North Territory of Baja California Rodríguez became military commander of the North Territory of Baja California in 1921, after discharging Cantú's troops. During that period he closed most casinos and bars in the border town of Tijuana, which had flourished under Cantú as a destination for North American vice tourism. However, these would soon be allowed to re-open.
Governor of the North Territory of Baja California (1923-1929) In 1923, Rodríguez became Governor of the North Territory of Baja California. He continued his role as Military Commander, while acting as Governor of that state. Rodríguez served as Governor of the North Territory of Baja California until 31 December 1929.
Vice Like his predecessor Colonel Esteban Cantú, Rodríguez personally benefited from Tijuana's vice industry, which had grown in the years after Cantú's departure, largely due to its close proximity to San Diego and Los Angeles during Prohibition. In addition to legitimate investments in the private sector, Rodríguez grew wealthy through the sale of licenses associated with vice tourism. Besides granting concessions to liquor and gambling establishments, Rodríguez also became a major partner of US entrepreneurs who were involved in these activities.
During his tenure as governor, Rodríguez also made money from the sale of alcohol and the traffic of opium. According to Francisco Cruz, Rodríguez learned the drug trafficking business from Cantú.
Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel Rodríguez was involved in the development of the Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel. This vast resort attracted wealthy Americans, Hollywood stars, and an elite global clientele.
The Agua Caliente was built at a cost of $10 million by the Agua Caliente Company, which was formed by North American investors Baron H. Long, Wirt G. Bowman and James N. Crofton. The fourth equal partner was Governor Rodríguez, who owned 25%.
Since the Americans could not own Mexican land, Rodríguez purchased the land upon which the resort was built, at the site of a hot springs. The contract for the construction was awarded to Rodríguez's brother Fernando L. Rodríguez. According to Satan's Playground author Paul J. Vanderwood, Rodríguez used taxpayer money to construct and outfit the enterprise.
The resort brought in enormous sums of money. After visiting the casino, one Los Angeles Times reporter concluded that "there isn't another place on the continent, outside of a US Mint, where you can see so much money piled up before your eyes at one time. Its only rival in the world is Monte Carlo." The resort operated from 1928 to 1935.
Business interests During his time as governor, Rodríguez also had success making legitimate investments in the private sector. He established the Pesquera del Pacifico fish and shellfish cannery in El Sauzal, outside Ensenada. He invested in an airplane manufacturing company in Baja California. He also formed an oil company to search for petroleum in Baja California, although this endeavor ultimately proved fruitless.
Autonomy and wealth Due to the remote nature of Baja California, and his close connection to the rulers in Mexico City, Rodríguez enjoyed considerable autonomy during his tenure in Baja California. He had served as an officer under Obregón during the Mexican Revolution, and they had both been wounded at the Battle of Celaya, Later, Rodríguez lent Obregón a significant amount of money to help him defeat Adolfo de la Huerta. In return President Obregón allowed Rodríguez to continue his operations in the vice industry.On 17 February 1926, as a result of the 6 February suicide of American Thomas M. Peteet, his wife and two daughters, following a visit to Tijuana that ended in the daughters' rape, and accusations against Tijuana's police chief, the border was closed between 6:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M. The curfew remained in effect until 1933, when president Roosevelt lifted it as part of the Good Neighbor Policy. San Diego Union, 7 February 18, 1926; The New York Times, 18 February 21, 1926