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MiguelAlemnValdsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

MiguelAlemnValds
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

MiguelAlemnValds(Spanishpronunciation:[mielaleman]September29,1900[1]May14,1983)served
asthePresidentofMexicofrom1946to1952.HisadministrationwascharacterizedbyMexico'srapid
industrialization,butalsoforahighlevelofpersonalenrichmentforhimselfandhisassociates.[2]

MiguelAlemn

Contents
1 Life
2 Presidency194652
2.1 Domesticpolicy
2.2 Foreignpolicy
2.3 Postpresidency
3 References
46thPresidentofMexico

Life

Inoffice
December1,1946November30,1952

AlemnwasborninSayulainthestateofVeracruz[3]asthesonofGen.MiguelAlemnGonzlezandTomasa
ValdsLedezma.Asachildhewasnotpermittedtoattendschoolinhishometown,duetohisfather'spolitical
beliefs(hewasaformerrevolutionarygeneral),buthedidstudyinotherareasinstead.HeattendedtheNational
PreparatorySchoolinMexicoCityfrom192025,thenwenttotheNationalSchoolofLawuntil1928,
completinghislawdegreewithhisthesisonoccupationaldiseasesandaccidentsamongworkers.Asa
successfulattorneyhisfirstpracticewasinrepresentingminerssufferingfromsilicosis.Hewontwonotable
legalvictoriesindefendingworkersagainstcorporationsthefirstwasinsecuringcompensationfordependents
ofrailroadworkerswhowerekilledinrevolutionarybattles,thesecondwastogainindemnitiesforminers
injuredatwork.[4]ThesevictoriesgainedhimgreatfavorwithMexico'slaborunions.

MeetingwithMexicanpresidentMiguelAlemn
Valds,fromlefttorightJorgeNegrete:Valds,
MarioMorenoCantinflasandMaraTereza
Montoya.

RepresentingthePartyoftheMexicanRevolution(an
earliernameofthepartylaterknownasthePRI),heserved
asSenatorfromthestateofVeracruzfrom193436.When
ManlioFavioAltamirano,thegovernorelectofVeracruz,
wasassassinated,Alemnacceptedappointmentas
Governorfrom193639.[5]Theappointmentcanbeseenas
apoliticalrewardfromtheCrdenasadministrationfor
helpingoustPlutarcoElasCallesduringtheintraparty
struggle.[6]From194045heservedasSecretaryofthe
Interior(Gobernacin)underManuelvilaCamachoafter
directingvila'spresidentialcampaign.AsSecretaryofthe
InteriorduringWorldWarII,hedealtwithAxisespionage
andSinarquistas,[7]whomsomeconsiderMexicanfascists.

Precededby

ManuelvilaCamacho

Succeededby

AdolfoRuizCortines
GovernorofVeracruz

Inoffice
December1,1936April6,1939
Precededby

IgnacioHerreraTejeda

Succeededby

FernandoCasasAlemn
Personaldetails

Born

MiguelAlemnValdes
September29,1900
Sayula,Veracruz,Mexico

Died

May14,1983(aged82)
MexicoCity,Mexico

Nationality

Mexican

Politicalparty InstitutionalRevolutionaryParty
Spouse(s)

BeatrizVelasco (19131981)

Alemnwaschosenastheofficialcandidateofthepartyin1945,runningforPresidentin1946.Hefollowed
thepatternestablishedbyLzaroCrdenas'campaignin1934,sothatAlemncampaignedinallpartsofthe
country,ameansbywhichthecandidateseesallareasoftherepublicandvotersmakecontactwiththe
candidate.HewasthewinneroftheelectionsheldonJuly7ofthatyear,defeatingformerforeignministerEzequielPadilla.Hebecamethefirstnonmilitary
candidatetowinthepresidencyofMexico,althoughhewasthesonofarevolutionaryarmygeneral.Hisownskillswithinthepartythatbroughthimthepostof
MinistryoftheInteriorplayedakeyroleinhisselection.

Presidency194652
AlemnwasinauguratedasPresidentoftheRepubliconDecember1,1946[8]andserveduntil1952.Hewasenormouslypopularpriortohispresidencyandinhis
earlyyearsaspresident,butlostsupportinthewaningdaysofhisterm.[9]
AspresidenthepushedtheprogramofindustrializationinMexicoandwasveryfriendlytowardbusiness.Thisstanceoneconomicdevelopmentwasakeyreason
hewastappedtobetheparty'scandidateratherthanpossiblecandidateswithideassimilartoCrdenas'.[10]Thisperiodofrapidgrowthandindustrializationhas
beendubbedtheMexicanMiracle.

Domesticpolicy

MiguelAlemn

AspresidentAlemnpursuedindustrialdevelopment,increasingtheextensionofthenation'srailnetwork,improvinghighwaysand
constructinganumberofmajorschools.Heputthenationalizedoilindustryonabetterbasis,makingitmoreefficientandproductive,
aidingotheraspectsofindustrialization.[11]HisadministrationalsobuiltanewcampusfortheNationalAutonomousUniversityof
Mexico(UniversidadNacionalAutnomadeMxico,UNAM).[12]Healsoworkedextensivelyonirrigationandfarming,greatly
expandingthenationalproductionofrice,sugar,bananas,coffee,oatsandpineapples.In1947heinitiatedahugeprojecttocontrol
floodsandgeneratehydroelectricityinthestateofOaxaca,culminatingwiththeopeningoftheMiguelAlemnDamin1955.[13]In
1951heoversawcompletionofthediversionoftheLermaRiver,bringingtoanendMexicoCity'swatersupplyproblems.[14]When
hoofandmouthdiseasebegantospreadamongcattleherds,hehadthousandsofcattleslaughteredinordertocontainit.Duringhis
administrationwomenweregrantedtherighttovoteinmunicipalelections.In1952hisadministrationelevatedBajaCaliforniato
statestatus.Alsoduringhisterm,heassertedpowerbyforcedimpositionofstategovernors.[15]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Alem%C3%A1n_Vald%C3%A9s

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MiguelAlemnValdsWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

HeplayedamajorroleinthedevelopmentandsupportofthecityofAcapulcoasaninternationaltouristdestination.
Rampantpoliticalcorruptionandcronycapitalismwouldmarkhisadministration,however,andthiswouldshapethe
relationshipofpoliticsandbigbusinessinMexicountilthepresentday.Hissuccessfuleconomicpolicyledtotalk
abouttheMexicanmiracle,butonlyasmallelitebenefittedfromeconomicgrowth.Hisadministrationtookananti
communiststanceandsupportedtheUSduringtheColdWar.[16]

Foreignpolicy
MiguelAlemnValdsinthecongress

DuringhisadministrationthecloserelationshipwiththeUSdevelopedduringWorldWarIIcontinued,althoughhe
refusedtosendMexicantroopstoparticipateintheKoreanWar.[17]

In1947,ontheeveoftheColdWar,hecreatedtheMexicanDFSintelligenceagencytosupportandcooperatewithCIAoperationsinMexico.Itsstatedmission
was"preservingtheinternalstability...againstallformsofsubversion".[18]
HenegotiatedamajorloanfromtheUnitedStatesin1947.AlemnandUSPresidentHarryS.TrumanrodeinaparadeinWashingtonthatattractedanestimated
600,000wellwishers.[19]Internationally,hesignedpeaceagreementswithJapan,GermanyandItalyfollowingWorldWarII,hadahandinatrucebetween
PakistanandIndiaandworkedwiththeUSontheissueofbraceros.

Postpresidency
InhispostpresidentialyearshewastheleaderoftherightwingofthePRI.[20]In1961hewasnamedthepresidentofthenationaltouristcommission,andwas
influentialinbringingthe1968SummerOlympicstoMexico.Inaddition,hewasthefirstpresidentoftheMr.AmigoAssociationin1964,whichcelebratesthebi
nationalfriendlinessbetweentheUnitedStatesandMexicointheCharroDaysandSombreroFestivalcelebrationsheldinMatamoros,Tamaulipasand
Brownsville,Texas.[21]

References
1.OfficialwebsiteofthePresidenyofMexico(http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/mexic
o/gobernantes/mexico1821actualidad/miguelalemanvaldes/)
2.HowardF.Cline,Mexico:RevolutiontoEvolution19401960.NewYork:Oxford
UniversityPresspp.15758.
3.CurrentBiography1946Yearbook,p9
4.Id.
5.Lic.MiguelAlemnValds(http://des.everacruz.gob.mx/portal/page?_pageid=33,3
781071&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL)
6.HowardF.Cline,Mexico:RevolutiontoEvolution,19401960.NewYork:Oxford
UniversityPress1963,p.158.
7.Cline,Mexico194060p.158.
8."AlemanTakesOathToday,FirstCivilianExecutive",SanAntonioExpress,Dec.
1,1946,p12
9.Cline,Mexico194060,p.158.
10.Cline,Mexico194060p.158.
11.Cline,Mexico194060,p.159.
12.Coerver,DonM.(2004).Mexico:AnEncyclopediaofContemporaryCultureand
History.ABCCLIO.p.12.

13.GerardoCruickshank(1972)."SomeProblemsofthePapaloapanRiverBasin"
(PDF).ProceedingsofUniversitySeminaronPollutionandWaterResources
(ColombiaUniversity).Retrieved20100630.
14."Water,WaterEverywhere",TIMEMagazine,September17,1951
15.Cline,Mexico19401960p.159.
16.Coerver,DonM.(2004).Mexico:AnEncyclopediaofContemporaryCultureand
History.ABCCLIO.p.12.
17.Coerver,DonM.(2004).Mexico:AnEncyclopediaofContemporaryCultureand
History.ABCCLIO.p.12.
18.DireccinFederaldeSeguridad(Mexico)SecurityReports,NettieLeeBenson
LatinAmericanCollection,UniversityofTexasLibraries,theUniversityofTexas
atAustin,DireccinFederaldeSeguridad(Mexico)SecurityReports,19701977
(http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utlac/00200/lac00200.html)
19."AlemanGreetedByHugeThrongsInWashington,"APReport,Joplin(Mo.)
Globe,April30,1947,p1
20.ErrolD.Jones,"MiguelAlemnValds"inEncyclopediaofMexicovol.1.p.39.
Chicago:FitzroyandDearborn.
21."AboutUsMr.Amigo".Mr.AmigoAssociation.Retrieved6November2011.

13.GerardoCruickshank(1972)."SomeProblemsofthePapaloapanRiverBasin"

(Spanish)Mexicangovernmentbiography(http://www.elbalero.gob.mx/historia/html/gober/m_alem%E1n.html)
(Spanish)Biography(https://web.archive.org/web/20061214040835/http://mx.geocities.com/yaimemx/maleman.htm

l)attheWaybackMachine(archivedDecember14,2006)
Camp,RodericA.MexicanPoliticalBiographies.Tucson,Arizona:UniversityofArizona,1982.

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Alemn.

Politicaloffices
Precededby
ManuelvilaCamacho

PresidentofMexico
19461952

Succeededby
AdolfoRuizCortines

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