Cardenas Leads Mexico To Social Reform

In 1934, Mexico had a new president, Lazaro Cardenas

, and he was a breath of fresh air to a country that had been ruled by corrupt presidents for over 50 years. Cardenas decided to flip the status quo on it's head, in the years following the Mexican Revolution, and he refused to engage in the backhanded politics of his predecessors. Interestingly, he was actually expected to be the front man for Plutarco Calles, and a mere puppet of the former president. Fortunately for Mexico, Cardenas had his own ideas.

The man made his mark almost immediately, when Cardenas took office in December: incredibly, he halved his salary as president, as soon as he gained office. It showed that things were now different and it was a bold move. His next move was to publicly denounce Calles for his role in instigating the brutal Cristero War of 1926-1929, which resulted in 90,000 casualties.

The USA became the new home to the criminal Calles, and his buddies, after Cardenas had them all deported in 1936. The citizens were thrilled with this, and the move earned him the public's overwhelming support. Even as governor of Michoacan, Lazaro had a progressive stance on education, and he continued to build greater support for his cause.. Whereas the previous administration had largely ignored the needs of the school system, the new President doubled the federal budget allocated to education. He also called for the restoration of common lands, fighting against the powerfully rich haciendas in the countryside. Relations with the Catholic Church were improved too, even despite his socialist schooling policies.

As one of the most modest presidents in Mexico's history, Cardenas refused to travel with bodyguards or armored car; he also refused to reside in the lavish imperial Chapultepec Castle, the traditional presidential residence, instead living in the estate of Los Pinos and turning the palace into the National Museum of History. He was instrumental in taking back control of Mexico's large oil reserves, and although there was concern about it worldwide, the policy ultimately was a boon to the Country's coffers..

Cardenas welcomed the exiled Leon Trotsky to Mexico; it was considered to be the only honest government in the world by the Russian. Lazaro understood that support of unions and labor laws was crucial in order to maintain public support. The railroad industry was nationalized by him, and welfare programs were established to help the poor.

Perhaps the most revealing sign that Cardenas was a different kind of president came at the end of his term, in 1940. Hoping to prevent another uprising, he surprised the country by refusing to run for re-election, instead supporting a moderate conservative candidate named Manuel Avila Camacho, in the hope that he could act as a mediator between the left and right wings of the government. Even as the secretary of defense, after he left the presidency, Lazaro worked to improve land reforms, humans rights, and the educational system - right up until he died in 1970.

by: Robert Nickel

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