The eight members of the Atlacomulco group who managed to be governors of Edomex

One of the greatest urban legends that exist in the State of Mexicoin the realm of politics, is the conformation of the Atlacomulco Groupa supposed faction that formed within the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and who for many years would have been reluctant to many of the decisions taken by the Presidents of the Republic, in the decades when the tricolor ruled practically the entire country.

The legend of this faction has been consolidated over the years, specifically in the territory of Atlacomulco, where the legend of a seer was born who indicated that there would be six state governors who would leave the municipality, but of those only one would become holder of the federal executive.

As far as we know, this story was recorded in the book family affairwritten by Francisco Cruz and researcher Jorge Toribio Cruz Montiel, the text specified that such an act would have occurred in 1940 and that the prophet would be a woman named Francisca Castro Montielwhich would have brought together the most select characters of the place to make known their vision of the future.

Already in 2023, some pointed out that the legend could have come true, although others believe that it did not happen. The dispute is because one of the alleged members of the group was not born in the territorybut he was one of the strongest figures in the organization, so it is unclear if all six governors came from the group before one became president or if this number was recorded later.

Isidro Fabela was Governor of the State of Mexico from 1942 to 1945this on his return to the country, having been delegate of Mexico to the League of Nations – antecedent of what is now called the United Nations (UN) – during the invasion of Italian troops in Ethiopia – in 1935—the annexation of Austria to the German National Socialist government—in 1938—.

Although little known, it is said that this character was one of the main promoters of the creation of the group, after Maximino Montiel Olmos relinquished power in the municipality; yet we say that ceded power to Alfredo del Mazo Vélez and Carlos Hank Gonzálezthe same ones who built the supposed power of the group.

Despite the fact that Fabela is recognized as one of the founders of the group, many point out that with the transformation of the Party of the Mexican Revolution (PRM) into the PRI, the group was consolidated, this with the help of the first PRI chief: Alfredo from the bridge Velezwho would also be the first of his dynasty to administer the entity.

The PRI ran the entity from 1945 to 1951, winning the election with strong popular support due to his closeness to his predecessor; However, the power within the faction was to be shared with Carlos Hank González, a character who was not born in Mexico, but who cemented his career there.

Although he was born in the State of Mexico, but in the municipality of Santiago Tianguistenco, Teacher He was one of the most influential people not only of the supposed group, but also of the national PRI, so much so that it is evoked that he could have led a break in the party, but that he won his loyalty to the tricolor.

Before joining the group and being president of Mexico, the politician held public positions in the town hall of Toluca, in addition to being municipal president of the capital of the entity, later he was director of the state government, federal deputy and was part of the six-year mandate of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz; However, many have said that he was not part of the group, because he had made a career away from the municipality of Atlacomulco, but he always remained close to the characters of said territory.

Years later, another Del Mazo assumed the governorship of the entity from 1981 to 1986. His candidacy had been controversial ever since. His career developed in the capital of the country, then Federal District; however, the academic Álvaro Arreola Ayala mentioned in his text 1981: Elections in the State of Mexico that Hank González was looking for another character, belonging to the territory, to designate.

Due to disputes that the national leader of the PRI, Gustavo Carvajal, could not even resolve, it was mentioned that the president José López Portillo, the one who nominated Del Mazo as candidatewho ended up winning the election and becoming governor.

Salvador Sánchez Colín was governor from 1951 to 1957, like those mentioned above – with the exception of one – was born in Atlacomulco, but at the age of seven he had to move to Mexico City. In the capital of the country, he devoted himself to studying everything related to the field, which is why all his positions in public administration, as well as his implemented policies, were related to said branch.

Like Del Mazo Vélez after concluding his term in Mexican territory solicits candidacy for the Presidency of the Republicwhich he did not obtain, he therefore devoted himself to the federal administration.

Arturo Montiel returned to the ruling Grupo Atlacomulco in 1999who, they say, from the first day of his mandate knew that he had to be replaced by his nephew, a promising young PRI who was beginning to gain popularity, was Enrique Peña Nieto.

Unlike his predecessors, perhaps due to the mass media, late in his administration he began to be singled out for alleged acts of corruption; however, so far the complaints against him have not been confirmed.

With six characters from the Atlacomulco group as governors, five if you’re strict with one of them’s birthplace, Enrique Pena Nieto It was he who fulfilled the prophecy of the seer of Atlacomulco, since being seventh or sixth, depending on how we see it, he became President of the Republic in 2012.

The Mexican territory was governed from 2005 to 2011, a year later it took part in national elections that not only fulfilled the legend of the PRI, but also rgraduated from institutional revolutionary to the highest civil service in the country.

Currently, the entity is governed by a third party Del Mazo, who came to power in 2017 and will leave office in 2023; However, although at one point he was singled out as a possible presidential candidate, this idea was dismissed and it is doubted that he will even continue in the tricolor after having concluded his mandate.