During my lectures on Mexican history, invariably I am asked my opinion regarding which of Mexico's heads of state I would deem "great." Such a question is easily answered with the name of Lazaro Cardenas, for on any list of Mexican presidents and their achievements, Cardenas must certainly be at the top. |
| CARDENAS SERVED AS MEXICAN PRESIDENT 1936 - 1940 |
Still plaguing Mexico in 2013, is a very uneven economic playing field. Despite being blessed with bountiful natural resources and a population known for its work ethic, Mexico remains unable to accommodate a significant segment of of its workforce with meaningful employment. In this regard, I have often made reference to the fact that Mexico, with a population of approximately 110 million, has more billionaires than France and the UK combined, yet cannot provide regular employment for almost half of the 1 million potential new workers who surface annually in the Mexican economy. If Mexican presidents, coming after Lazaro Cardenas in the 40's 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's, had followed the example of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico would likely be a far different place today. Although thoughtful consideration of the Mexican political spectrum would place Cardenas left of center, this conservative would be the first to say that there was never any doubt of his sincerity, honesty and integrity,
Lazaro Cardenas (1895 - 1970) was born in the beautiful Mexican state of Michoacan. As a youngster, his ambitions leaned toward education; but, fate, in the form of the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century, intervened. Attaching himself to the rising star of future president Plutarco Elias Calles, Cardenas emerged from the conflict with the rank of general.
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| PLUTARCO ELIAS CALLES |
Serving 2 terms as governor of Michoacan, Cardenas eventually became a major figure in the party formed by Calles, the precursor of the Partido Revolutionario Institutional, or PRI, that would rule Mexico for 71 years.
As president (1924 - 1928), Plutarco Elias Calles became increasingly despotic, even engaging in a protracted war to uproot the Roman Catholic Church from Mexican society. After the completion of his term of office, Calles was in effect a puppet-master of the presidents who would follow him.
In 1933, thinking that he could extend his string of marionettes, Calles threw his support behind the presidential candidacy of Lazaro Cardenas. Embarking on a campaign that would take him to all corners of Mexico, Cardenas quickly became a popular figure and emerged as Mexico's 44th president in 1934.
Once inaugurated, Lazaro Cardenas wasted no time in purging the government of Calles' supporters. Isolating Calles politically, Cardenas was able to send the dictator into exile.
As his own man, President Cardenas quickly made it known that he preferred to work directly with the people of Mexico, shunning the limelight with those who had traditionally composed the Mexican power elite. Embarking on meaningful reforms, the Cardenas administration worked to build a system of highways and establish a network of schools to bring long-suffering campesinos and Indians into the mainstream of Mexican life. More funds were spent to further rural education than in all previous presidencies combined. In addition, land reform saw previously landless peasants endowed with lands that they were able to call their own.
Perhaps best known for his role in founding "Petroleos Mexicanos," or PEMEX, Cardenas, because of the reluctance of foreign oil companies to employ Mexican engineers and laborers at living wages, felt compelled to expropriate foreign oil leases and nationalize the industry. Although foreign interests roundly condemned the move and declared that Mexico could never manage its own oil deposits, by the advent of World War II, Mexico was acknowledged as a major player in the international oil market.
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| "TIO LAZARO" WITH THE PEOPLE |
It should be noted, too, that because of the world depression of his era and feeling strongly that he should share the suffering of the Mexican people, Lazaro Cardenas refused to live in the presidential palace in Mexico City and slashed his presidential salary by half. Significantly, he was also restrained in undertaking lavish trips abroad to represent his country.
Leaving office in 1940, Lazaro Cardenas would remain the most beloved of Mexico's former presidents. Never wanting to lose touch with the Mexican people, Cardenas spent his retirement on his relatively modest estate near Patzcuaro, eventually bequeathing the property to UNESCO for a teacher training institute. To the end of his life, he took great delight in driving his jeep into the mountains to encourage and support isolated Indian communities, where he was always affectionately known as "Tio Lazaro."
It may be said that we live in entirely different times, which have totally changed the nature of the relationship between those governed and those doing the governing. Although my own persuasion would be to the right of Lazaro Cardenas, I cannot help but respect and admire the man. He was a person of honor and conviction, and he never lost touch with his desire to be a true public servant. In contrast, there are more than a few 21st century "public servants", who appear to operate on overblown assumptions that they are modern day satraps and eminences. Clearly, such individuals could be better served by borrowing a page or two from the playbook of President Lazaro Cardenas. Following from that, I do find myself wondering if one President Barack Hussein Obama, during the course of his privileged Ivy League education, ever heard tell of "Tio Lazaro." Since, during his stint as editor of the Harvard Law Review, our president was too busy to write any scholarly articles in the legal field, I somehow have my doubts.
Deo vindice!
God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!
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