Emilio Álvarez Icaza
{{short description|Mexican senator and sociologist}}
{{family name hatnote|Álvarez Icaza|Longoria|lang=Spanish}}
{{infobox officeholder
|name = Emilio Álvarez Icaza Longoria
|image = Secretario Ejecutivo de la CIDH, Emilio Alvarez-Icaza (8024785251).jpg
|office = Senator of the Congress of the Union
from Mexico City
|term_start = 1 September 2018{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
|term_end = 31 August 2024
|predecessor = Pablo Escudero Morales{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
|successor = Cynthia López Castro
|alongside = Martí Batres{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
and {{ill|Citlalli Hernández|es|}}{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1965|03|31}}
|birth_place = Mexico City, Mexico
|party = Independent
|spouse =
|children =
|occupation = Human rights activist and ombudsman, professor
|residence =
|alma_mater = Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
|religion =
|signature =
}}
Emilio Álvarez Icaza Longoria (born 31 March 1965) is a Mexican human rights ombudsman and activist serving as a senator in the LXIV Legislature of the Mexican Congress from Mexico City. He previously served as the president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Life and political career
Álvarez Icaza was born on 31 March 1965 in Mexico City, Mexico.{{r|cv}}{{page needed|date=October 2018}} Álvarez Icaza holds a degree in sociology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a master's degree in social sciences from the Latin American Social Sciences Institute.{{r|laj}} From 1986 to 1988 and from 1990 to 1999, he worked at the Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social, becoming its leader from August 1994 to January 1999.{{r|cv}}{{page needed|date=October 2018}}
In 1999, he became one of the first electoral councilors of the new Instituto Electoral del Distrito Federal. Two years later, he was elected to head the {{ill|Human Rights Commission of the Federal District|es|Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Distrito Federal}} (CDHDF), serving two four-year terms.{{cite web|work=Organization of American States|language=Spanish|url=https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/mandato/secejec2012/emilioalvarezicazacvesp.pdf|date=May 2012|title=Curriculum Vitae – Emilio Álvarez Icaza Longoria|accessdate=23 August 2018}}{{page needed|date=October 2018}}
Álvarez Icaza has taught graduate courses at various schools, including the UNAM, Universidad Iberoamericana, and the Center for Humanities Teaching and Studies of the State of Morelos.{{r|cv}}{{page needed|date=October 2018}} Álvarez Icaza is also a member of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity, who were organizers of the main protests during the 15 October Movement.{{cite news|title=Emilio Álvarez Icaza es elegido nuevo secretario de la CIDH|url=http://www.informador.com.mx/mexico/2012/391039/6/emilio-alvarez-icaza-es-elegido-nuevo-secretario-de-la-cidh.htm|accessdate=19 July 2012|language=Spanish|newspaper=El Informador|date=19 July 2012}}
=President of the IACHR=
On 19 July 2012, Álvarez Icaza was chosen to be the executive secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for a four-year term, taking the post on 16 August.{{cite web|title=IACHR makes its choice of Emilio Álvarez Icaza for Executive Secretary|url=http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2012/092.asp|publisher=Inter-American Commission on Human Rights|accessdate=19 July 2012|date=19 July 2012}}{{cite news|title=Emilio Álvarez Icaza, secretario ejecutivo de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos|url=http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2012/07/20/politica/019n1pol|work=La Jornada|page=19|date=July 20, 2012 |accessdate=July 20, 2012|language=Spanish}} While serving on the IACHR, the Procuraduría General de la República opened an investigation against him for alleged misuse of funds given by the Mexican government to the IACHR to finance its activities relating to the Ayotzinapa mass disappearance; the investigation was ultimately abandoned.{{cite news|url=http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/nacional/pgr-archiva-denuncia-contra-emilio-alvarez-icaza.html|work=El Financiero|date=5 April 2016|title=PGR archiva denuncia contra Emilio Álvarez Icaza por presunto fraude|first=David Saúl|last=Vela|language=Spanish|accessdate=23 August 2018}}
In 2016, he was replaced by Paulo Abrão of Brazil.{{cite news|url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/nacion/sociedad/2016/07/27/eligen-relevo-de-emilio-alvarez-icaza-en-comision-interamericana-derechos-humanos-paulo-abrao|work=El Universal|date=27 July 2016|title=Eligen relevo de Emilio Álvarez Icaza en CIDH|accessdate=23 August 2018|language=Spanish}}
=''Ahora'' movement and presidential bid=
On 27 February 2017, Álvarez Icaza announced he was launching a political movement in Mexico City, known as Ahora (Now), initially intending to put citizen candidates on the ballot in 2018 and as a vehicle for an independent presidential bid. That October, citing the outcome of the State of Mexico election earlier that year, he withdrew his candidacy, worried that the election had been too similar to that of 1988 and declaring that he "would not be useful to the PRI," like other independent candidates who he claimed had their candidacies secretly supported by the presidency.{{cite news|url=https://www.animalpolitico.com/2017/10/emilio-alvarez-icaza-candidatura-independiente/|work=Animal Político|date=8 October 2017|language=Spanish|accessdate=23 August 2018|title=No seré funcional al PRI: Emilio Álvarez Icaza retira su candidatura independiente para 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.animalpolitico.com/2018/06/sumar-al-movimiento-ahora-al-frente-no-es-traicion-es-continuar-la-lucha-en-el-senado-alvarez-icaza/|work=Animal Político|title=Sumar al movimiento Ahora al Frente no es traición, es continuar la lucha en el Senado: Álvarez Icaza|first=Agustín|last=Salgado|date=8 June 2018|accessdate=23 August 2018|language=Spanish}}
=2018 Senate candidacy=
In March 2018, Álvarez Icaza announced that Ahora would back the Por México al Frente coalition, including presidential candidate Ricardo Anaya Cortés, and that the movement would run legislative candidates in the coalition, with three candidates for the Senate and five for the Chamber of Deputies.{{cite news|url=https://www.animalpolitico.com/2018/03/ahora-anaya-frente/|work=Animal Político|title=La iniciativa Ahora se suma al Frente y respalda la candidatura de Anaya|date=26 March 2018|accessdate=23 August 2018|language=Spanish}}{{cite news|url=https://politico.mx/central-electoral/elecciones-2018/congreso/frente-incorpor%C3%B3-ahora-%C3%A1lvarez-icaza-buscar%C3%A1-senado/|work=Político.mx|date=26 March 2018|title=Frente incorporó a Ahora, Álvarez Icaza buscará Senado |accessdate=23 August 2018 |language=Spanish}} Álvarez joined the PAN-PRD-MC Senate ticket for Mexico City alongside Xóchitl Gálvez.{{cite news|url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/politica/avala-prd-candidaturas-van-alvarez-icaza-y-xochitl-galvez|work=El Universal|date=19 February 2018|first=Misael|last=Zavala|language=Spanish|accessdate=23 August 2018|title=Avala PRD candidaturas; van Álvarez Icaza y Xóchitl Gálvez}} The ticket finished second in the election, giving Álvarez a seat as the first minority senator.{{cite news|url=https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/politica/Emilio-Alvarez-Icaza-recibe-constancia-que-lo-acredita-como-senador-electo--20180708-0028.html|work=El Economista|date=8 July 2018|author=Notimex|title=Emilio Álvarez Icaza recibe constancia que lo acredita como senador electo|accessdate=23 August 2018|language=Spanish}}
On 23 August 2018, Álvarez Icaza announced he would serve as an independent senator and not join the caucuses of any of the parties that ran him for Senate, noting that he is not a member of any of them; additionally, the other Ahora candidates elected, Ana Lucía Riojas Martínez and Carlos Morales Vázquez, would enter the legislature as independents, though they ran on the PRD and PAN lists, respectively.{{cite news|url=https://www.reporteindigo.com/reporte/alvarez-icaza-desaira-a-pan-prd-mc-sera-senador-independiente/|work=Reporte Indigo|date=23 August 2018|title=Álvarez Icaza desaira a PAN, PRD y MC; será senador independiente|language=Spanish|accessdate=23 August 2018}}
Personal life
Álvarez Icaza is married and has three children.{{r|cv}}{{page needed|date=October 2018}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{LXIV Legislature Mexican Senators}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez Icaza, Emilio}}
Category:Human rights in Latin America
Category:National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni
Category:Members of the Senate of the Republic (Mexico) for Mexico City
Category:Senators of the LXIV and LXV Legislatures of Mexico