José María Pino Suárez (; September 8, 1869 – February 22, 1913) was a Mexican statesman, lawyer, writer and newspaper proprietor who was a key figure of the Mexican Revolution and served as the 7th and last Vice President of Mexico from 1911 until 1913. A supporter of Francisco I. Madero, he shared in his struggle to democratize the country. After the battle of Ciudad Juárez, he participated in the negotiations that culminated in the collapse of the Porfirian dictatorship. After that, Francisco León de la Barra, the interim president, organized the 1911 presidential elections, described as "peaceful and unquestionably among the cleanest, most enthusiastic, and most democratic in the history of Mexico." Madero and Pino Suárez were elected, respectively, president and vice president, forming an administration described by various sources as the first democratic government in the country. In February 1913, the Madero administration was overthrown by a military coup during the events of the so-called Ten Tragic Days and Madero and Pino Suárez were assassinated by order of general Victoriano Huerta, the military dictator who replaced them. During his political career, he also served as President of the Senate, Secretary of Education and Fine Arts, Governor of Yucatán and Secretary of Justice in the provisional government of Madero. As a journalist, he was the founder and managing director of El Peninsular, a newspaper, where he advocated for abolishing slavery in the Haciendas of Yucatán. As a poet, he was the author of several works that were published both in Mexico and in Europe. In 1969, María Cámara Vales, his widow, received the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor, recognizing their joint sacrifice for democracy and freedom in the country. His great-grandfather was Pedro Sainz de Baranda (1787-1845), a naval officer, industrialist and liberal politician who is considered a hero of the Mexican War of Independence. Youth and studies Family origins Born in Tenosique, Tabasco, "almost by accident – his family was among the most notable in Mérida.” He was the eldest son of José María Pino Salvatiel, a businessman, and Josefa Suarez; both his parents had been born in Mérida. Shortly after his birth, his mother died, an event that was devastating for the young man. He had a younger brother, Néstor Pino Suárez who served as a colonel and was mortally wounded in battle in 1912, trying to end the Quintero insurrection in Sinaloa. As mentioned above, Pino