Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, a founder of Mexico's modern left, died Wednesday at 92, El Universal and Infobae report. El Universal said people close to the family confirmed the death. Infobae reports he died Wednesday night at Hospital Ángeles Metropolitano in Mexico City.

Neither the family nor officials have given a cause of death, Infobae reports. He had missed several events in October for health reasons.

Cárdenas was the son of President Lázaro Cárdenas, who took over Mexico's oil industry in 1938. A civil engineer, he spent years in the ruling PRI party. He served as a senator and as governor of Michoacán from 1980 to 1986.

In 1987 he helped lead a reform group inside the PRI. When the party refused to open up, he broke away and ran for president in 1988. Official results gave the win to Carlos Salinas de Gortari after a computer system crash on election night. Infobae writes that the crash took the presidency from him. Out of that movement came the Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD, in 1989. Cárdenas was its first leader.

He ran for president again in 1994 and 2000. In 1997 he won the first popular vote for head of Mexico City's government. He left the PRD in 2014 over differences with its leaders. In March 2026 he was named honorary head of an oil advisory panel at the state firm Pemex, El Universal reports.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said he was "a man of firm principles who transformed the political life of our country," in a NewsHabit translation of her post cited by Infobae. Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called him a pioneer of Mexico's democratic movement. Leaders of opposition parties also paid tribute.

Infobae reports, citing journalist Joaquín López Dóriga, that funeral services were set for Thursday morning in Mexico City.

What we know: Cárdenas died Wednesday at 92, and leaders across parties have paid tribute.
What we don't: The cause of death, and plans for any national memorial.