President of Cuba, 1925-1933. Born in Santa Clara, September 28, he spent his childhood in the family cattle estate, attended private schools and in his early 20s engaged in growing and selling tobacco. His father fought for the rebels in the Ten Years’ War, becoming a major, and Gerardo joined them in the Independence War of 1895-1898, becoming a brigadier general. Afterwards he turned to politics. He became alcalde of Santa Clara and was made President Gómez’ inspector general of the armed forces and then his interior minister. Soon afterwards he engaged in farming and business, and, together with American capitalists, invested in public utilities. Having grown wealthy, he returned to politics in the early 1920s. He won control of the Partido Liberal, and, with his slogan “water, roads and schools,” won the election of 1924, his election costs apparently paid for by an American electricity company. His first administration coincided with a period of prosperity. Sugar production expanded and America provided a close and ready market. He embarked on an ambitious public works program, including the Carretera Central, the National Capitol, the enlarging of the University of Havana, and the expansion of heath care facilities. He also sponsored a tariff reform bill in 1927 providing protection to some branches of manufacturing industry.
But Cuba’s dependence on sugar continued, and American influence and investments increased. Machado claimed that he alone could carry out his economic program and that, to do so, he needed six more years. Controlling the Partido Conservador and the smaller Partido Popular (united in the Liga Nacional), the congress and the judiciary, he was able to prevent the growth of formal opposition and convoked the Constitutional Convention of 1928 which permitted his reelection that November with virtually no opposition, to an extended presidential term. But his administration soon faced the problems of the Depression of the 1930s. Led principally by University students, many Cubans began organized opposition to the regime. Machado replied with increasing repression. Ex-President Menocal’s “Revolution of 1931” was quickly crushed. In 1932 the underground ABC organization tried to assassinate Machado. Terror and bombings became widespread. US President Franklin Roosevelt sent envoy Sumner Welles to negotiate a peaceful agreement. “La Mediación” failed, but a general strike and the defection of the armed forces (the beginning of the Revolution of 1933) persuaded Machado to flee the country on August 12, 1933. He settled in Florida and died in Miam Beach, March 29, 1939.
1 thought on “Gerardo Machado y Morales (1871-1939)”
Thank you for tghe opportunity to make just some comment, as I was born in 1929, I was growing up and started to know about ex
Cuban president Gerardo Machado, was about 5 to 6 years by 1935, and learned about the entire and interesting history, and there about the following government of Batista who about the 1936 and over he became president, his history is well known, and of course the rest that followed was later during the 1940’s that brought other siturations , and one of them was gansterism, during my schoool years following up to the 1949, and up where there after we had the Castro movemen and the sierra maestra confrontation , and later followed by the saddenning Castro Comunist take over, which is still affection our dear country of origin, and all followeed by the current unrest as well in our beloved USA, Lrst hope for the best and not accept the comming of any goberment that would deal on any kind pof totalitarism, and also for our dear USA to tacke and rediuce or eliminate so much of what is going on with Assault weapons on an open market , and the many people that have been killed s during the last year and half by now…There is no political inclination at this time in my mind , except to see more real common sense ,and real human rights, and avoidance , of any inadecuate intention to bring about a tiranical or extremist gobernment of any kind.
Pls note that Iam a cuban american artist, and respectful, as well as freedom loving individual rights…the word respectful so hould be like a blessing for all who attends to above .
My hope as well as possible prediction for our dear loving Cuba, is that there will be an hones new generation that will, at some moment in time bring a blessed “sollussion”, if at all possible.
You may, if appropiate or desirable check my most recent Special updated edition of “The Return of the Butterflies/Back to Cuba book, published since Nov. 20 19.
Elio F. Beltran, on June 24, 2021, at 12.52 PM, With appreciation foryour kind attention
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