Raúl Padilla López, former rector of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) and president of the organizing committee of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), has been found dead at his home.
Reports said first responders who arrived at Padilla’s house located in the Vallarta Poniente neighborhood of Guadalajara found a firearm next to his lifeless body, as well as a posthumous message.
Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro later confirmed that Padilla took his own life, and sent condolences to his relatives.
Padilla, 68, was the driving force behind the UdeG’s commitment to transforming Guadalajara into a major cultural hub over the past three decades. As well as developing the annual FIL into the world’s largest event of its kind, he started the city’s International Film Festival, which has become one of the the most important gatherings for film professionals in Latin America.
Padilla’s influence in the university’s political and administrative affairs continued long after he ended his rectorship in the 1990s. Since then, he has been referred to as the UdeG’s “godfather,” who many believe always had the “final say” on any controversial issue involving the university.
Padilla often clashed with politicians who called into question his dominance within the university hierarchy, and in the past few years has had high-profile run-ins with both Alfaro and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
On Monday, people from all sectors of Mexican society, including Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and film director Guillermo del Toro, paid tribute to Padilla and his achievements.
Authorities did not say what was contained in the presumed suicide note, but unofficial reports suggested Padilla may have been suffering from an incurable medical condition.