The University of Guadalajara (UdeG) has unveiled a statue of Raúl Padilla López, the institution’s former rector who took his own life in April 2023.

The statue has been installed in one of the most prominent locations on the city: in the forecourt of the UdeG administrative building, facing Avenida Vallarta and the only rectory, now the Museo de las Artes.

The statue was created by the artist Juan Méndez at an approximate cost of two million pesos ($US120,000).

A former president of the UdeG student union, Padilla López rose to become rector from 1989 to 1995, and played a prominent role in university life from then on, earning himself the moniker of the “godfather,” or the power behind the throne.

His legacy was cemented as the founder of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) and the Guadalajara International Film Festival, as well as spearheading many other cultural, business and infrastructure initiatives for the UdeG.

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