Miguel Alemán Valdés
Encyclopedia
Miguel Alemán Valdés
served as the President
of Mexico
from 1946 to 1952.
as the son of General Miguel Alemán González and Tomasa Valdés Ledezma. As a child, he was not permitted to attend school in his home town, due to his father's (a former revolutionary general) political beliefs, but studied in other areas instead. He attended the National Preparatory School in Mexico City
from 1920–1925, and then went to the National School of Law until 1928, completing his law degree with his thesis on occupational diseases and accidents among workers. As a successful attorney, his first practice was in representing miners suffering from silicosis. He won two notable legal victories in defending workers against corporations. The first was in securing compensation for dependents of railroad workers who were killed in revolutionary battles; the second was to gain indemnities for miners injured at work, and gained favor with Mexico's labor unions.
Representing the Party of the Mexican Revolution (an earlier name of the party later known as the PRI
), he served as Senator from the state of Veracruz from 1934–1936. When Manlio Favio Altamirano, the governor-elect of Veracruz, was assassinated, Aleman accepted appointment as Governor of Veracruz from 1936–1939. From 1940 to 1945, he served as Secretary of the Interior under Manuel Ávila
, after directing Avila's presidential campaign. Aleman ran for President in 1946 as candidate of the PRI, and was the winner of the elections held on July 7 of that year, defeating former foreign minister Ezequiel Padilla to become the first nonmilitary candidate to win the Presidency of Mexico. He was inaugurated as President of the Republic on December 1, 1946, and served until 1952.
In 1961, he was named president of the national tourist commission, and was influential in bringing the 1968 Summer Olympics
to Mexico. In addition, he was the first president of the Mr. Amigo Association in 1964, which celebrates the bi-national friendliness between the United States
and Mexico
in the Charro Days
and Sombrero Festival
celebrations, held in Matamoros, Tamaulipas
and Brownsville, Texas
.
. Aleman became the first Mexican President to visit the United States, and he and U.S. President Harry S. Truman
rode in a parade in Washington
which attracted an estimated 600,000 well-wishers.
Internationally, he signed peace agreements with Japan
, Germany
and Italy
following World War II
, had a hand in a truce between Pakistan
and India
, and worked with the United States on the issue of the braceros.
He also worked extensively with irrigation and farming, greatly expanding the national production of rice, sugar, bananas, coffee, oats, and pineapple.
In 1947 he initiated a huge project to control floods and generate hydroelectricity in the state of Oaxaca
, culminating with the opening of the Miguel Alemán Dam
in 1955.
In 1951, he oversaw completion of the diversion of the Lerma River
, bringing to an end Mexico City's water supply problems. He faced the appearance of foot-and-mouth disease
and killed thousands of cattle in order to contain it. He gave women the right to vote in municipal elections during his term, and in 1952, elevated Baja California
to state status.
He played a major role in the development and support of the city of Acapulco
, which is now well known all over the world as one of the principal tourist destinations in Mexico and Latin America.
Rampant political corruption
and crony capitalism
would mark his administration, and this would shape the relationship of politics and big business in Mexico until the present day.
served as the President
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
from 1946 to 1952.
Life
Alemán was born in Sayula in the state of VeracruzVeracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
as the son of General Miguel Alemán González and Tomasa Valdés Ledezma. As a child, he was not permitted to attend school in his home town, due to his father's (a former revolutionary general) political beliefs, but studied in other areas instead. He attended the National Preparatory School in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
from 1920–1925, and then went to the National School of Law until 1928, completing his law degree with his thesis on occupational diseases and accidents among workers. As a successful attorney, his first practice was in representing miners suffering from silicosis. He won two notable legal victories in defending workers against corporations. The first was in securing compensation for dependents of railroad workers who were killed in revolutionary battles; the second was to gain indemnities for miners injured at work, and gained favor with Mexico's labor unions.
Representing the Party of the Mexican Revolution (an earlier name of the party later known as the PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
), he served as Senator from the state of Veracruz from 1934–1936. When Manlio Favio Altamirano, the governor-elect of Veracruz, was assassinated, Aleman accepted appointment as Governor of Veracruz from 1936–1939. From 1940 to 1945, he served as Secretary of the Interior under Manuel Ávila
Manuel Ávila Camacho
Manuel Ávila Camacho served as the President of Mexico from 1940 to 1946.Manuel Ávila was born in the city of Teziutlán, a small town in Puebla, to middle-class parents, Manuel Ávila Castillo and Eufrosina Camacho Bello. He had several siblings, among them sister María Jovita Ávila Camacho and...
, after directing Avila's presidential campaign. Aleman ran for President in 1946 as candidate of the PRI, and was the winner of the elections held on July 7 of that year, defeating former foreign minister Ezequiel Padilla to become the first nonmilitary candidate to win the Presidency of Mexico. He was inaugurated as President of the Republic on December 1, 1946, and served until 1952.
In 1961, he was named president of the national tourist commission, and was influential in bringing the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
to Mexico. In addition, he was the first president of the Mr. Amigo Association in 1964, which celebrates the bi-national friendliness between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in the Charro Days
Charro Days
Charro Days, also known as Charro Days Fiesta or Charro Days Festival, is two-nation fiesta and an annual four-day pre-Lenten celebration held in Brownsville, Texas, United States in cooperation with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The grito—a joyous Mexican shout—opens the festivities every year...
and Sombrero Festival
Sombrero Festival
Sombrero Festival, also known as Sombrero Fest, is a two-nation fiesta and an annual four-day pre-Lenten celebration held in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, in cooperation with Brownsville, Texas, United States. The grito—a joyous Mexican shout—opens the festivities every year...
celebrations, held in Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
and Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
.
Presidential years
As president, Alemán pursued industrial development, increasing the extension of the nation's rail network, improving highways, and constructing a number of major schools. To accomplish this, in 1947 he negotiated a major loan from the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Aleman became the first Mexican President to visit the United States, and he and U.S. President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
rode in a parade in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
which attracted an estimated 600,000 well-wishers.
Internationally, he signed peace agreements with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, had a hand in a truce between Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and worked with the United States on the issue of the braceros.
He also worked extensively with irrigation and farming, greatly expanding the national production of rice, sugar, bananas, coffee, oats, and pineapple.
In 1947 he initiated a huge project to control floods and generate hydroelectricity in the state of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, culminating with the opening of the Miguel Alemán Dam
Miguel Alemán Dam
The Miguel Alemán Dam is on the Tonto River in the Papaloapan Region of Oaxaca state in southern Mexico, just upstream from the town of Temascal or Nuevo Soyaltepec, forming the Miguel Alemán Lake with an area of 47,800 hectares....
in 1955.
In 1951, he oversaw completion of the diversion of the Lerma River
Lerma River
The Lerma Santiago River is Mexico's second longest river. It is a river in west-central Mexico that begins in Mexican Plateau at an altitude over above sea level, and ends where it empties into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, near Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, bringing to an end Mexico City's water supply problems. He faced the appearance of foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
and killed thousands of cattle in order to contain it. He gave women the right to vote in municipal elections during his term, and in 1952, elevated Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
to state status.
He played a major role in the development and support of the city of Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, which is now well known all over the world as one of the principal tourist destinations in Mexico and Latin America.
Rampant political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
and crony capitalism
Crony capitalism
Crony capitalism is a term describing a capitalist economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials...
would mark his administration, and this would shape the relationship of politics and big business in Mexico until the present day.