Mexican Presidents and Key Policies (1920-1970)

Posted on Mar 9, 2025 in History

Adolfo de la Huerta (1920)

Amnesty for Francisco Villa

Álvaro Obregón (1920-1924)

  • CGT, SEP, EMP, Land Reform
  • Signed friendly, commerce, and Bucarelli agreements with the U.S.
  • José León Toral, a fanatic, assassinated Obregón.

Plutarco Elías Calles (1924-1928)

  • 1924: General direction of roads and irrigation
  • 1925: Banco de México generates financial resources, favors agricultural activities.
  • 1925: 130 factories, the plant industry consolidates.
  • Created: Industrial Technical Institute, the National School of Builders, Mechanics and Electrician Engineers School.
  • 1926: Episcopal committee suspended all religious services without closing churches. Government closed buildings, chapels, homes, and convents. Expelled foreign priests. Calles Law ended in 1929.

Maximato

Emilio Portes Gil (1928-1930)

  • Birth of UNAM
  • 1929: Founded the Revolutionary Party
  • Fight against the fall of the CROM
  • Conclusion of the Cristero War; an agreement was reached in 1929.

Pascual Ortiz Rubio (1930-1932)

  • Suffered an attack by a Vasconcelos supporter.
  • Estrada Doctrine: Mexico should not judge the rulers of other nations.
  • Federal Labor Law 123°: 8-hour working day, mandatory vacations.
  • 940,000 hectares distributed to farmers.
  • Resigned his post.

Abelardo Rodríguez (1932-1934)

  • Built the Palace of Fine Arts.
  • Foundation of the Mortgage Bank and Public Works.
  • Extended the presidential term to 6 years.
  • 1934: Decree on minimum wage.
  • Civil Service Act.
  • Created PETROMEX.

Lázaro Cárdenas (1934-1940)

  • Banished Calles.
  • CTM (Confederation of Mexican Workers)
  • Saturnino Cedillo revolted.
  • PNR changed to PRM in 1938.
  • CNC (National Peasant Confederation)
  • PAN: 1939, Manuel Gómez Morín
  • Momentum: banking, oil, electricity, trade, mining
  • Oil expropriation: March 18, 1938
  • National Polytechnic Institute
  • Promoted education

Manuel Ávila Camacho (1940-1946)

  • 1940-1954: Mexican Miracle
  • Party: PRI
  • Movement against fascism
  • Mexican Institute of Social Security
  • Capitalist economic system, increased exploitation of raw materials.
  • Received: machinery, tools, funds, and credits; activated industry, agriculture, and mining.

Miguel Alemán Valdés (1946-1952)

  • Anti-communist and anti-fascist politics
  • Industrialization, infrastructure
  • Acted against leaders (“charros”)

Adolfo Ruiz Cortines (1952-1958)

  • Women’s suffrage.
  • 1954-1957: Stabilizing development begins.
  • Railroad, labor, student, and teacher movements.
  • Trade agreements, good relations with the U.S.
  • Roads, airports.
  • Industrialization: banking, services, shops.
  • Expenses, devaluation.
  • Free textbooks, literacy campaigns.
  • Closed: Polytechnic Institute classrooms, schools, National Teachers School.

Adolfo López Mateos (1958-1964)

  • Nationalization of the electric industry in 1960.
  • Deficient in commercial banking.
  • Gave free textbooks to primary schools.
  • Created the annual bonus (Aguinaldo) and ISSSTE.
  • Provided support to Cuba, Tlatelolco housing complex, repression and imprisonment of leaders.

Gustavo Díaz Ordaz (1964-1970)

  • Repression of physicians and the student body.
  • Olympic host in 1968 in the capital of the country.
  • Creation of the Confederation of Mexican Oil Workers.