Rabia y vergüenza en el crimen cometido por María Teresa Landa. México, 1929

Abstract

Objective/Context: This article studies the crime committed by María Teresa Landa, the first national beauty queen, against her husband, General Moisés Vidal, on Sunday, August 25, 1929, in Mexico City. It also analyzes the criminal trial that followed, which set the stage for essential debates on the condition of women and frankly highlighted the confrontation between tradition and modernity in post-revolutionary Mexico. Methodology: The text describes the event and analyzes the context and the legal and emotional considerations that led to the acquittal of the accused. Originality: Although the Landa case has been the subject of numerous studies, historiography has not dealt with the emotional aspects of the process, which allow us to delve into details of Landa’s situation and discover new elements that accompanied her acquittal by the authorities. Conclusions: María Teresa Landa was acquitted by a popular jury that defined her action as a crime of passion. However, the trial revealed the reluctance to accept that a woman could avenge her honor. As a great paradox, the Government and the post-revolutionary society, which promoted so many changes, refused to accept any alteration in the political and cultural status of Mexican women.

Keywords

• beauty contest
• crime of passion
• emotions
• popular jury
• rage
• shame