Queer Places:
Panteón Español, Miguel Hidalgo, 11230 Mexico City, Mexico
José Alejandro Redo Vega, frequently known as Alejandro Redo de la Vega (January 17, 1873 - August 5, 1933), was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, on January 17, 1873, and was baptized on June 30 of that same year. He came from a prominent and wealthy Porfirian-era family as the son of Joaquín Redo Balmaseda (1833–1904) and Alejandra Vega Vega (1844–1937). He grew up alongside his siblings Joaquín, María Beatriz, and Diego, the latter of whom would go on to serve as the Governor of Sinaloa. His extended family tree was deeply rooted in the regional elite, with paternal grandparents Diego Redo Rivadeneyra and María Francisca Balmaseda Ugarte, and maternal grandparents Antonio Vega Rábago and Beatriz Rojo.
As an adult, Alejandro established himself as a prominent industrialist and elite sugar baron, serving as a key figure in the economic development of northwestern Mexico. Alongside his brother Diego, he co-managed Redo y Cía, a massive and influential business empire centered around expansive sugarcane plantations and modern sugar refineries. The brothers are particularly remembered for founding and developing the town and sugar mill of El Dorado in Sinaloa, where they introduced advanced industrial machinery, modern infrastructure, and unique agricultural imports such as lychee trees to the region.
Due to his status within the upper echelons of Porfirian society, Alejandro frequently intersected with the political and social networks of the era's elite, including figures like Ignacio de la Torre y Mier and Antonio Adalid. In historical records, he and journalist Jesús "Chucho" Rábago have been cited as frequent organizers of elite private gatherings. This social circle famously collided with a major historical scandal when Alejandro was linked as a possible organizer of the infamous Dance of the Forty-One on November 17, 1901. This illegal police raid targeted a clandestine party in Mexico City's Colonia Tabacalera involving 41 men—half of whom were dressed in women's clothing—and became a landmark event that brought open public discussion of homosexuality to the Mexican media.
Following the upheaval of the Mexican Revolution, Alejandro successfully adapted the family's business operations to survive the post-revolutionary economy, all while maintaining his primary residence in a grand mansion located in Mexico City. He passed away on August 5, 1933, at the age of 60 in Mexico City, concluding a life that bridged the height of Porfirian industrial opulence and the transition into modern Mexico.
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