2016 in Mexico

Federal government

• President: Enrique Peña Nieto  PRI

Governors

January and February

• January 2 – Gunmen shoot and kill Temixco mayor Gisela Mota Ocampo at her home, the day after she was elected. Police shoot and kill several suspects and arrest several more who are suspected of involvement in organized crime.^[8]
• January 8 – Mexican police arrest Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán on January 8. He had been on the run since his second escape from prison in July 2015.^[9]
• January 20 – The Federal District is dissolved, and it officially becomes the "Ciudad de México". The political reform gives the city self-rule.^[10]
• January 28 – 2015–2016 Zika virus epidemic: The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the Zika virus is "spreading explosively" in the Americas.^[11]
• February 11 – Forty-nine killed and 12 injured during a riot at the Topo Chopo prison in Nuevo León.^[10]
• February 12 to 17 – Pope Francis visits Mexico.^[10]
• February 29 to March 6 – 2016 Monterrey Open

March and April

• March 28, 2016: An ash column 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) high was released from Popocateptl, prompting the establishment of a 12-kilometer "security ring" around the summit.^[12]
• April 3, 2016 — Popocatépetl erupted, spewing lava, ash and rock.^[13]
• April 9 to 15 – 2016 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B in Mexico City
• April 14 to 17 – Equestrian jumping show at Campo Marte in Mexico City.^[14]
• April 16 — Javier Duarte de Ochoa, former Governor of Veracruz (PRI) 2010–2016 is arrested and charged with corruption.^[15][16]
• April 20 — At least 24 people were killed, 136 others injured, following a blast at the major Clorados 3 petrochemical plant of Petroquimica Mexicana de Vinilo. The plant is run by Mexichem under agreement with Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the national petrochemical company, in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, on the country's southern Gulf of Mexico coast. Pemex had an earlier fire at the same facility in February 2016 that killed one worker; also that month, an offshore Pemex Gulf platform fire killed two and injured eight.^[17]

May and June

• May 17 – President Peña Nieto signs legislation legalizing Same-sex marriage.^[10]
• June 1 – A riot at the penetentiary Topo Chico in Monterrey, Nuevo León, leaves three inmates killed and 14 injured.
• June 3 – Auguste Rodin´s "The Gates of Hell" ((in French) Les Portes de l’Enfer) is displayed at the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City.^[18]
• June 5 – Elections in 13 states.^[19]

July and August

• July 17 – Revillagigedo Islands are declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.^[20]
• July 8 – President Peña asks for forgiveness for the "Casa Blanca" scandal that came to light in 2014.^[10]
• July 23 – Municipal presidents of Chamula, Chiapas, and Pungarabato, Guerro, are assassinated.
• August 2016 – Eruptions continued from Popocateptl, with four discrete blasts on August 17.^[21]
• August 1 – Municipal president of Huehuetlán el Grande, Puebla, is assassinated.

September and October

• September 22 – Eugenio Andrés Lira Rugarcía is named bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Matamoros.^[22]
• October 4 – The cable line Mexicable opens to facilitate transportation in the Sierra de Guadalupe in Ecatepec de Morelos.^[23]
• October 12 – Veracruz Governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa is forced to resign after being accused of corruption and illegal enrichment; Flavino Ríos Álvaro become Interim governor.^[24][25]

November and December

• November 10: Guillermo Padrés Elías, former Governor of Sonora (PAN) 2009–2015 is arrested for allegedly laundering US$8.9 million.^[26][27]
• December 20 – 2016 San Pablito Market fireworks explosion: An explosion at a fireworks factory in Tultepec, State of Mexico, leaves at least 42 people killed and dozens injured.^[28]

• January 2: Gisela Mota Ocampo, Presidente Municipal of Temixco, Morelos (b. 1982)
• January 7
  • Joaquín Gamboa Pascoe. Politician and union leader.
  • Jesús María Ramón Valdés, politician.
• January 17: Juan Manuel Ley, businessman (Casa Ley).
• January 23: Espectrito, professional wrestler (WWE, AAA).
• February 1: Miguel Gutiérrez, soccer player (Club Atlas).
• February 12: Braulio Manuel Fernández, 74, politician.
• February 13: Rafael Moreno Valle, soldier (general), physician, and politician (PRI), Governor of Puebla (1969–1972), Secretary of Health (1964–1968).^[37]
• February 15 – Carlos Quintero Arce, 96, Mexican Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Hermosillo (1968–1996).
• February 17 – Jesús Barrero, 57, actor and voice actor (Saint Seiya).^[38]
• February 20 – Moisés Dagdug Lützow, 65, radio-station owner (XEVX-am), politician (PRD), Deputy from Villahermosa, Tabasco (2006–2009) stabbed.^[39]
• February 21 – María Luisa Alcalá, 72, actress (El Chavo del Ocho, Dr. Cándido Pérez, Esmeralda).^[40]
• March 14 – Mónica Arriola Gordillo, 44, Mexican politician (New Alliance Party, member of the Chamber of Deputies (2006–2009), cancer.^[41]
• March 17 – Eliezer Ronen, 84, Mexican-born Israeli politician, member of the Knesset (1974–1977).
• March 23 – Fernando Solana, 85, Mexican diplomat and politician, member of the Senate for Mexico City (1994–2000), Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1988–1993), negotiated NAFTA.
• March 26
  • Raúl Cárdenas, 86, soccer player (Zacatepec) and coach (Cruz Azul, national team).^[42]
  • Francisco García Moreno, a member of the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympic water polo teams was shot near his home in Cuernavaca during a robbery.^[43]
• April 3 – Leopoldo Flores, 82, artist, member of the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana (b. 1934).^[44]
• April 9 – Lucas Martínez Lara, 70, prelate, Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Matehuala (2006–2016).^[45]
• April 16 – Rubén Mendoza Ayala, 55, Mexican politician (PRD), Deputy (2003–2006) from the State of Mexico; heart attack.^[46]
• April 18 – Arnulfo Mejía Rojas, engineer, architect, teacher, historian, painter, artist, and Catholic priest, best known for being the creator of "The Boat of the Faith".^[47]
• April 24 – Ricardo Torres Origel, 59, Mexican politician (PAN) Deputy (2000–2003) and Senator (2006–2012) from Guanajuato (b. September 8, 1956).^[48]
• April 26 – Álvaro Pérez Treviño, 85, Mexican politician (Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution) (b. May 8, 1930).^[49]
• May 8 – Tonita Castro, 63, Mexican-born American actress (Dads, Funny People, The Book of Life), stomach cancer; (b. January 8, 1953).^[50]
• May 18 – Luis H. Álvarez, 96, President of National Action Party, Municipal president of Chihuahua (1983–1986) (b. October 25, 1919).^[51]
• May 22
  • José Luis Romo Martín, 62, Otomi -Hñäñhü- artist (b. April 19, 1954).^[52]
  • Leonorilda Ochoa, 76, actress (Los Beverly de Peralvillo), Alzheimer's disease (b. October 30, 1937).^[53]
• June 17 – Rubén Aguirre, 82, actor (Profesor Jirafales in El Chavo del Ocho, El Chapulín Colorado, Chespirito), pneumonia (b. June 15, 1934).^[54]
• June 20 – Chayito Valdez, 71, Mexican-born American folk singer (Corridos de Caballos) and actress ("Hijos de tigre", "Tierra de Valientes"), complications from a cerebral hemorrhage (b. May 28, 1945).
• July 2 – Flavio Romero de Velasco, 90, lawyer and politician (PRI), Governor of Jalisco (1977–1983) (b. February 22, 1925).^[55][56]
• July 3 – Mauricio Walerstein, 71, film director (Cuando quiero llorar no lloro, Españolas en París).^[57]
• July 6 – Armando León Bejarano, surgeon and Governor of Morelos (PRI), 1976–1982 (b. 1916)^[58]
• July 7 – Cinna Lomnitz, 90, German-born Chilean-Mexican geophysicist.^[59]
• July 17 – Rafael Aguilar Talamantes. Founding politician of the Cardenista Front of National Reconstruction (PFCRN) and Federal Elections of Mexico 1994 presidential candidate in 1994 (b. October 24, 1939).
• July 18 – Aldo Monti, 87, actor (Las momias de Guanajuato, Entre el amor y el odio) (b. January 4, 1929).^[60]
• August 6 – José Becerra, 80, bantamweight boxer, world champion (1959–1960) (b. April 15, 1936).^[61]
• August 13 – Miguel Bortolini, 74, politician (PRD), President of the Coyoacán (2003—2006); cancer (b. September 29, 1941).^[62]
• August 20 – Ignacio Padilla, 47, writer, co-founder of the Crack Movement; traffic collision (b. November 7, 1968).^[63]
• August 23 – Evita Muñoz, 79, Mexican actress (Nosotros los Pobres, Mundo de juguete); pneumonia (b. November 26, 1936).^[64]
• August 28 – Juan Gabriel, 56, Singer and composer originally from Michoacán, (b. 1950).^[65]
• September 16 – Teodoro González de León, 90, Mexican architect (b. May 29, 1926).^[66]
• October 4 – Mario Almada, 94, Mexican actor (La Viuda Negra).^[67]
• October 7 – Martha Roth, 84, Italian-born Mexican actress (A Family Like Many Others).^[68]
• October 9
  • René Avilés Fabila, 75, author (The Games, Tantadel), heart attack (b. November 15, 1940).^[69]
  • El Mongol, 86, professional wrestler (GCW).^[70]
• October 10 – Gonzalo Vega, 69, actor (Life Is Most Important, The Place Without Limits) (b. November 29, 1946).^[71]
• October 24 – Herón Escobar, 62, politician (PT) from Sinaloa, member of Congress (2009–2012).^[72]
• October 30 – René Velázquez Valenzuela, suspected hitman, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, shot.^[73]
• November 5
  • Israel Cavazos Garza, 93, historian.^[74]
  • Rodolfo Stavenhagen, 84, sociologist.^[75]
• November 12 – Lupita Tovar, 106, Mexican-American actress (Drácula, Santa, Miguel Strogoff), heart disease.^[76]
• November 17 – Fidel Negrete, 84, Olympic long-distance runner (1964), Pan American gold medalist (1963).^[77]
• November 23 – Renato López, 33, actor and television host, shot.^[78]

• List of Mexican films of 2016

• Timeline of Mexican history
• Zika virus outbreak timeline