Pedro Joaquín Coldwell (b. August 5, 1950 in Cozumel

Cozumel

Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo...

, Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....

) is a Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party

Institutional Revolutionary Party

The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...

 (PRI).

Personal life and education

Joaquín Coldwell studied law at the Universidad Iberoamericana

Universidad Iberoamericana

The Ibero-American University is a Mexican private institution of higher education sponsored by the Society of Jesus...

. He is the son of Nassin Joaquín Ibarra a businessman from Cozumel. His older sister is Addy Joaquín Coldwell

Addy Joaquín Coldwell

Addy Cecilia Joaquín Coldwell is a Mexican politician from Cozumel, Quintana Roo.Her brother Pedro Joaquín Coldwell is a former Governor of Quintana Roo...

, who is also active in political circles.

Political career

Joaquín Coldwell has occupied different positions within the PRI and in the public service. He has been director general of the Fondo Nacional para el Desarrollo Turístico (FONATUR) and general secretary of his party.
From 1979 to 1980, he held a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, representing Quintana Roo's First District

First Federal Electoral District of Quintana Roo

The First Federal Electoral District of Quintana Roo is one of the 300 Electoral Districts into which Mexico is divided for the purpose of elections to the federal Chamber of Deputies and one of three such districts in the state of Quintana Roo.It elects one deputy to the lower house of Congress...

.
He served as Governor of Quintana Roo

Governor of Quintana Roo

Governors of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo since statehood in 1975:Governors of the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo* Jesús Martínez Ross , 5 April 1975 – 4 April 1981* Pedro Joaquín Coldwell , 5 April 1981 – 4 April 1987...

 from 1981 to 1987. President

President of Mexico

The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...

 Carlos Salinas de Gortari appointed him Secretary of Tourism

Secretary of Tourism (Mexico)

In Mexico the Secretary of Tourism is the head of the Secretariat of Tourism , the government department in charge of the nation's tourism promotion and development. The Secretary is appointed by the President of the Republic and is a member of the federal executive cabinet.The current Secretary...

 in 1990. Joaquín Coldwell succeeded Marco A. Bernal as Peace and Reconciliation Commissioner in Chiapas. In 1998 President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León appointed him Ambassador to Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

.

In the general election

Mexican general election, 2006

A general election was held in Mexico on Sunday, July 2, 2006. Voters went to the polls to elect, on the federal level:*A new President of the Republic to serve a six-year term, replacing then Mexican President Vicente Fox .*500 members to serve for a...

 of July 2, 2006, he was elected to the Senate

Senate of Mexico

The Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...

 for the PRI, representing the state of Quintana Roo.