Felipe Carrillo Puerto

Felipe Carrillo Puerto (1872-1924) was a governor of the state of Yucat�n, Mexico. He was born in the town of Motul. He was a progressive who favored land reform, women's suffrage, and rights for the indigenous Maya. He had a romance with a United States journalist, Alma Reed of San Francisco, California, which was commemorated in the song "La Peregrina". Carrillo Puerto died by assassination in December of 1924.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto is also the name of a municipality and its chief town in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, renamed after the assassinated politician. The town is the south-central part of the state at 21.20� North, 86.72� West. It was founded in 1850 by independent Maya during the Caste War of Yucat�n under the name Chan Santa Cruz. After it was conquered by Mexican troops in 1901 it was renamed "Santa Cruz del Bravo" before acquiring its present name. In 2000 the town had a population of about 19,000 people, mostly of Maya decent.