mon among Latin American first ladies, there was a self- promotional air to Sahagun’s foundation work that rubbed people the wrong way. She had never been involved with philanthropy before becoming first lady, and suspicions grew that she had launched the foundation with the ulte- rior motive of boosting her public image. The fact that she seemed to play to the camera in public appearances didn’t help, and when she began making declarations to the effect that Mexico was “ready to have a woman as president,” at- tacks from potential political opponents quickly followed. Although many expected Sahagun to run for president
in 2006, she ultimately bowed out, at least in part due to a scandal involving the use of state lottery funds to support Vamos Mexico. Fox’s private secretary quit in protest and in his nineteen-page resignation letter criticized the president for inappropriately supporting Sahagun’s political ambi- tions. “Marta Sahagun didn’t attain the nomination for one reason: her husband,” says Mendoza, the Mexican political consultant. “She was used by Fox as a lightning rod every time there was a conflict. Since Fox put his wife on the front lines as a shield against public opinion, all the nega- tives were absorbed by her.” Whatever role the first lady plays, it is clear that male officials and candidates in Latin America require some con- nection to an attractive woman to thrive politically. A Latin American president who lacks a wife does not fit with the region’s standards. In some such cases, the role of the first lady ends up being fulfilled by a daughter. For instance, be- fore Mexican President Vicente Fox married Marta Saha- gun seven months into his term, his daughter, Ana Cristina Fox, ran the social programs of the national family welfare system. And in Peru, President Alberto Fujimori’s daughter, Keiko, took over the role of first lady when her parents got divorced. (Now, Keiko is running for president herself and is polling a close second in the first electoral round, which will be held this month.)
Margerita Cedeño de Fernandez, wife of the Dominican Republic’s president, Leo- nel Fernandez.
There are some interesting similarities between the
roles played by first ladies in Latin America and the Unit- ed States. Over the last half century, U.S. first ladies have ranged from Jacqueline Kennedy, who played a largely or- namental role, to Hillary Clinton, who has gone on to great success as a politician. (However, even Clinton fell short of being elected president.) In between, most U.S. first ladies have devoted themselves to a chosen social project such as childhood obesity, in the case of Michelle Obama, or education, in the case of Laura Bush. And U.S. first ladies, like Latin American ones, are frequently the most popular figures associated with their husbands’ administrations. It is clear that many male politicians in Latin America
are buoyed by the appeal of their significant others. In- creasingly, these significant others are becoming significant political players in their own right. One key reason is that in recent years, direct contact campaigns have become substantially more effective than massive communication campaigns, and there is no other political figure associated with a president who can connect with the electorate as ef- fectively as the first lady. As women gain a firmer foothold in the region’s politics, we may soon have to rethink the old saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” There are currently three female presidents in Latin America, and many others are running for office. There is no doubt that politics in Latin America are taking on an increasingly no- ticeable shade of pink.
Israel Navarro is associate editor of the Latin American version of C&E.
June 2011 | Campaigns & Elections 39
Tamara Bejar
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