Manuel Avila Camacho
Manuel Ávila Camacho (Teziutlán, Puebla, April 24, 1897-Huixquilucan, State of Mexico, October 13, 1955) was a Mexican soldier and politician who served as President of Mexico from December 1, 1940 to November 30, 1946.
He began as a military participant in the Mexican Revolution and the Escobarista Rebellion. He entered politics within the Ministry of War and Navy. He was appointed by President Lázaro Cárdenas as Secretary of National Defense.
He was elected president of Mexico in the controversial federal elections of 1940, defeating his opponent Juan Andreu Almazán and, considering the violence experienced during the day, in later years it has been concluded that he won due to electoral fraud.
During his presidency he was nicknamed the "gentleman president" because he pledged to promote religious freedom in the country. During his administration he completed the transition from military to civilian leadership, ended the anti-clericalism of confrontation, reversed the drive for socialist education, and reestablished a working relationship with the United States during World War II.
Biography
He was born in the city of Teziutlán, Puebla, on April 24, 1897. He completed his primary studies at the Liceo Teziuteco, a secular school that began to be renowned among the society of the region. He attended the baccalaureate level at the National Preparatory School. His brothers Maximino and Rafael were also officials in the Mexican government, and all three were in the same period.
Participation in the Mexican Revolution
In 1914 he joined the Mexican Revolution as a second lieutenant in command of troops and reached the rank of colonel in 1920. That same year he served as chief of staff for General Lázaro Cárdenas who was serving as military chief and governor of Michoacan. Cárdenas and Ávila Camacho became good friends.
In 1929 he appears fighting under the orders of Cardenista Rafael M. Pedrajo against the Escobarista rebellion, his actions in the campaign allowed him to reach the rank of brigadier general that same year. In 1933–1934, straddling the administrations of Pascual Ortiz Rubio and Abelardo L. Rodríguez, Ávila Camacho served as senior officer of the Secretary of War and the Navy, a predecessor of the current Secretary of National Defense, to which he would return two years later to act as head of the branch from 1936 to 1939, during the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas.
Ávila Camacho resigned from that dependency to be named candidate for the presidency of Mexico of the newly created Party of the Mexican Revolution.
Presidential candidate
Earlier than Cárdenas would have liked, the succession race broke out. The internal forces were guided by generals Manuel Ávila Camacho, at that time the secretary of the presidency, and Francisco José Múgica. Anti-Cardenista groups nominated Juan Andrew Almazán for the Revolutionary Party for National Unification. Apparently, it was thought that the logical choice for Cárdenas would be Francisco Múgica. However, the president put said man aside and decided on a moderate military man, his former and faithful lieutenant, Manuel Ávila Camacho. Cárdenas himself revealed the reasons for his decision.
“Múgica General, my dear friend, was a widely known radical. We had drawn a civil war and supported, as a result of the oil expropriation, a terrible international pressure. Why a Radical?”Lazarus Cárdenas
The election was held on July 7, 1940, with 2,476,641 votes in favor of Ávila Camacho amid various irregularities. Clashes between supporters of Almazán and Ávila Camacho left a total of 30 dead and 158 injured in Mexico City alone; incidents were also reported in other cities in the country.
The Electoral College of the Chamber of Deputies declared the validity of the elections and the citizen Manuel Ávila Camacho as constitutional president for the period 1940–1946 on September 12. The declaration was published two days later in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
President of Mexico
Government Policy
During his administration, the official discourse was in favor of the so-called National Unity Policy and relegating the socialist model of his predecessors. In this period the Second World War (1939-1945) was fought; thus the threat of "Nazifascism" was latent, which sought the predominance of the totalitarian ideas of the "Aryan" race. The government was supported by organizations from various fields; in this way the national unity was manifested. Vicente Lombardo Toledano was replaced by Fidel Velázquez to direct the General Secretariat of the Confederation of Workers of Mexico (CTM). The Social Security Law was decreed and at the same time the Mexican Institute of Social Security and various hospitals were created, such as the Children's Hospital of Mexico and the National Institute of Cardiology.
National unity against political divisions
As one more sign that the National Unity intended to eradicate political divisions, on September 15, 1942, Ávila Camacho convened an Assembly of National Approach, to which all the former presidents were invited: Adolfo de la Huerta, Plutarco Elías Calles, Emilio Portes Gil, Pascual Ortiz Rubio, Abelardo L. Rodríguez and Lázaro Cárdenas. The fact of bringing together in the same event these characters —who despite being members of the same Party of the Revolution, had deep ideological differences among themselves —had the intention of making public the achievement of National Unity, and that such an event would serve as an example for those who still persisted in discord.
The Avilista government was favored due to its contribution of agricultural raw materials and minerals for the production of war materials. In exchange, he received machinery, tools, capital, and credit, which activated industry, agriculture, and mining. In this way, the capitalist economic model favored the bourgeoisie, which became a powerful and wealthy class. He also used the internal substitution model. The currency was devalued and caused an inflationary crisis.
The Cardenista agrarian policy was not followed up. The common land ceased to be a priority and benefited the landowners who received land with irrigation systems, canals, dams, etc.; The extension of land owned as unaffected was extended, therefore, the agrarian distribution was suspended. The National Peasant Confederation (CNC) was an instrument of the State and the peasant was deprived of his land. In this way, that peasant federation supported the government policy, with which he was called "Presidente Caballero".
The Mexican politician Fidel Velázquez and the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) submitted to the government, the workers helped because of the war, and justice and the right to strike were neglected. Thus, the State was the arbiter of trade union life.
Education, science and culture
During the administration of Ávila Camacho, socialist education was cancelled, the CNC grouped together the rural teachers; The National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) was created, which brought together all the personnel that worked within the national education system. Thus, education and instruction strengthened the economy by preparing individuals for efficient and productive work. The government allowed private and religiously inclined educational institutions, which proliferated; enrollment increased as well as facilities at all educational levels.
Public works
The road network was expanded to connect important cities, railways were built in various parts of the country, mail and telegraph networks were expanded, radio transmissions reached a larger audience, irrigation works were built, such as dams and irrigation canals. One of the main companies in charge was Techo Eterno Eureka. The Secretary of Labor was also founded.[citation required]
Foreign Policy
Pending Issues
The pending problems with the United States were essentially of an economic nature: compensation for the oil companies expropriated in 1938 and payment of foreign and railway debts. The government adjusted the economy and thus had close cooperation with its neighbor, bent on winning the war. This support continued: the United States reduced Mexico's external debt by approximately 20%, in exchange, the peso was devalued by $4.85 per dollar, thus the US government was able to acquire raw materials and merchandise at a lower cost.
Bilateral trade agreement
Another important aspect in Mexican-American relations in the time of Ávila Camacho was a trade agreement, signed in December 1942. Through the agreement with Mexico, the United States government would have the exclusive sale to Mexico of all exportable production strategic materials for war and hard fibers; Instead, the United States promised to sell Mexico products necessary for its industrial development.
The signing of the bilateral trade agreement provoked adverse reactions in Mexico, due to mistrust towards the United States government, because it always tried to obtain enormous advantages from its trade deal with Mexico.
Mexico in World War II
On May 13, 1942, the Mexican ship Potrero del Llano was sunk off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico by German submarines, killing five Mexican sailors. to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs that if within a period of 7 days, counted from May 14, 1942, the country responsible for the aggression does not proceed to pay the damages caused, the Mexican government would adopt the measures that it claims the national honor. That same night, President Ávila Camacho issued an announcement addressed to the nation informing it that an Axis Power submarine had sunk the Mexican-registered ship Potrero del Llano in the Atlantic, and that if it were not satisfied claims, as of the 22nd there will be a state of war between Mexico and the Axis Powers. On the 20th of the same month, another tanker called the Golden Belt was also torpedoed and sunk. Italy and Japan did not respond to the protest, and the German Foreign Ministry refused to receive it. Thus, Mexico entered World War II. The Mexican government sent Squadron 201, made up of 300 men, which was a group of the Mexican Air Force, which was sent to fight by Mexico as part of the allies.
General Ávila Camacho declared before the Congress of the Union on May 22, 1942 when declaring war on the Axis Powers:
"The state of war is war. Yes, the war, with all its consequences; the war, which Mexico would have wanted to proscribe forever of the methods of civilized coexistence, but that in cases such as the present, and in the current disorder of the world, constitutes the only means to reaffirm our right to independence and to preserve the dignity of the Republic intact."
Attack
On April 10, 1944, Ávila Camacho was at the National Palace and went to his offices at 9:30 to begin his work. He crossed the patio while there was an honor guard performing a march.As he left the elevator, he was approached by a 31-year-old artillery lieutenant of synarchist affiliation, José Antonio de la Lama y Rojas, who was greeted by Ávila himself. De la Lama asked him: "Mr. President, how are you?", to which he replied "How are you doing?, what are you doing?", at which point that the attacker shot the president with his 45-caliber pistol. The "presidente caballero" He pounced on the assailant and was unharmed, as he was wearing a bulletproof vest under his suit, disarming him.
In the elevator, Ávila asked De la Lama what was wrong with him: "In this country there is no freedom or justice; They don't let the military enter churches or lodges in uniform,' his assailant replied. Hours later, official reports cited that while De la Lama was detained he wanted to flee, for which he was shot, dying on the 12th April of the same year due to peritonitis.
After the presidency
Once his six-year term ended, Ávila Camacho retired from politics and went to live on his ranch "La Herradura". Once there, he and his wife engaged in an intense social life. High-level figures came to his residence, including: Rita Hayworth, Emil Ludwig, Carlos Chávez, José Clemente Orozco, Manuel Suárez y Suárez, Juan Rulfo, Dolores del Río, Carlos Pellicer, Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, the Princes Felipe of Edinburgh and Bernardo of Holland, the Dukes of Windsor, Fulgencio Batista, Orson Welles. At that time, the general and his wife lived on a huge piece of land that contained a cattle ranch and a luxurious residence, made up of three beautiful buildings. All splendidly furnished and adorned with fine Italian and French furniture, paintings and sculptures, porcelain and silverware, crockery and lamps made up the Ávila Camacho residence.
The property was so large that some time later it was converted into a subdivision that bears the same name as the Ávila Camacho ranch. The couple kept more than five thousand meters of garden. In addition, the luxurious home of Don Manuel and Doña Soledad was endowed with a library with books on military discipline. General Manuel Ávila Camacho, also called "El Presidente Caballero", was characterized for having made use of the PRI corporate structure to reduce socio-political problems during a troubled time, without achieving their total solution.
Personal life and death
Camacho met Soledad Orozco in Sayula, Jalisco, a woman with whom he would begin an engagement and later become his wife. They were married on November 20, 1925 in Sayula. The union produced no children.
He died at his ranch on October 13, 1955. His remains and those of his wife were entombed in a mausoleum inside the French Pantheon of San Joaquín, located in Mexico City.