Lazaro Cardenas del Rio

Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940. He was considered one of the most honest and hardworking presidents in the history of Latin America , he provided strong and clean leadership at the time when his country I needed it the most. Today he is revered among Mexicans for his tireless fight to eliminate corruption , and many cities, streets and schools in the country are named after him for this reason. He started a broad family dynasty in Mexico, and his son and grandson also became part of Mexican politics.

Biography of Lázaro Cárdenas del Río

The son of a very modest indigenous family, Lázaro Cárdenas del Río could barely go to school. In 1914 he joined the Mexican Revolution and it was here that he began his military career in which he quickly excelled, shortly afterwards he became brigade governor . At that time he dedicated himself to defending the constitutional cause of Venustiano Carranza , and in 1923 he was appointed chief of operations in Veracruz and Michoacán . President Plutarco Elías Calles gave him protection when he decided to start his political life and in 1928 he was elected governor of Michoacán, at which time he founded different schools , distributed landsand promoted unions . In 1930 he was appointed Minister of Internal Relations , and in 1932, Minister of War . Lázaro Cárdenas died of cancer in Mexico City on October 19, 1970 .

What did he do during his government

After winning the presidential elections in 1934, he managed to exert an important influence on the country’s inhabitants. He carried out a policy of nationalizations and confronted the United States over oil problems and announced the expropriation of British companies until President Roosevelt intervened. Cárdenas managed to create a state monopoly called Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) to nationalize the resources. He provided important protection to the indigenous people , motivated the government to promote the agrarian reform , was against the latifundismo and with his government and its ideals, teaching becamesecular public , free and mandatory . The Cárdenas del Río government managed to distribute more than 18 million hectares to the poorest. He established the “ ejido ” that included many families to which the Banco de Crédito Ejidal provided financing, education services and hospitals.

Achievements

Some of his most important achievements were the following:

• One of his achievements was to transform Chapultepec Castle , the place where the country’s rulers lived, into the National Museum of History .
• He founded the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
• He was in charge of modifying the Agrarian Law , expanded the road network and allowed the entry of political refugees from different countries, including 40,000 Spanish refugees from the civil war.
• One of his most representative achievements of his administration was the oil expropriation .
• He created PEMEX on March 18, 1938.

Contributions of Lázaro Cárdenas del Río

He managed to create and institute trade unions , he gave great importance to social security . Through him, the workers and the middle class had a voice and a vote. He initiated an oil expropriation and his agrarian reform plans succeeded in benefiting many of the inhabitants of Mexico. He nationalized the oil industry, gave political asylum to exiles from Spain who fled during the civil war. It created the bases for the operation of the National Revolutionary Party . He exiled Plutarco Elías Calles . He formed corporate organizations and gave a great boost to thebasic education . Its economic and social reform brought many benefits to the country.

Decendents

Lázaro Cárdenas del Río married Amalia Solórzano , from which his son Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano was born, who years later would be a government senator, governor of Michoacán, head of government of the Federal District and candidate for the presidency of the Republic in three different occasions. His grandson, Lázaro Cárdenas Batel , has also dabbled in politics and was governor of the state of Michoacán in 2002.

Motto of Lázaro Cárdenas del Río

Under his motto ” Mexico for Mexicans ” he managed to nationalize the country mainly in the oil aspect. He managed to create a turn in Mexican society with his reforms.

Works by Lázaro Cárdenas del Río

Among his most important works we can mention the following:

• PNR: Sexennial Plan 1934-1940
• Protest and speech by presidential candidate Lázaro Cárdenas
• Speech by Lázaro Cárdenas del Río at the inauguration of the protest as President of the Republic
• Speech by Lázaro Cárdenas on the expropriation of oil
• Speech by Deputy Ezequiel Padilla on the occasion of the oil expropriation carried out by President Lázaro Cárdenas
• Statements by Lázaro Cárdenas on the causes of the prevailing unrest
• Statements by Lázaro Cárdenas on the occasion of the departure of Plutarco Elías Calles from the country
• Oil Expropriation Decree of President Lázaro Cárdenas
• Decree that creates Petróleos Mexicanos

Phrases

Some of his phrases are more important:

• The ruler who intends to steer his country towards democracy has to begin by being a true democrat .
• A well-run economy claims as a fundamental basis justice to the working classes.
• The good intention of the president is not enough, the collective factor represented by the workers is indispensable . The people of Mexico are no longer suggested by hollow phrases: freedom of conscience, economic freedom.
• I made an effort to serve my country and with greater commitment to the needy people. I canceled many privileges and distributed a good part of the wealth that was in few hands.