Gerardo Machado

Gerardo Machado y Morales ( born November 28, 1871 in Santa Clara, Cuba, † March 29, 1939 in Miami, USA), Cuban politician and dictator who was from 1925 to 1933, fifth President of the Republic of Cuba.

Life

Machado was the son of an immigrant from the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) and came from humble economic circumstances. Before beginning his military career, he worked as a butcher in Santa Clara. He participated in the Cuban War of Independence against the Spanish colonial power ( Guerra de Independencia 1895-1898 ) and had some last the rank of general.

After the Revolutionary War, Machado was a businessman and was subsequently politician in the Liberal Party ( Partido Liberal de Cuba ).

On May 20, 1925, he was elected president. Machado, who was able to appeal to start on broad political support disempowered, gradually his power limiting political institutions and established a claim based on military authoritarian one-party government. This gave rise to increasingly violent resistance in the country, which culminated in the victorious democratic revolution of 1933.

Machado considered in particular the interests of the large sugar plantation owners and the U.S. Electrical Industry ( ITT, General Electric, etc.) who had supported his campaign $ 1 million U.S..

Under Machado's reign, the Carretera Central, the two-lane central highway from La Fe in the west over Havana to Santiago de Cuba and the Capitol of Havana were built.

After an election in 1929, which was the only candidate Machado, came in 1930 to an ever increasing resistance movement, which initially emanated from intellectuals and workers, but then a large part also affected the middle classes.

On August 11, 1933 Machado had to flee the country by plane. He died in Miami.

Machado was a member of a Masonic lodge since the late 1890s. In 1929 he issued a decree whereby the Gran Logia de la Isla de Cuba received a government land for the construction of a large lodge temple. He established it, the condition that a public library and a lay school is set up in this house. The bell tower of the building was a statue of free thought with a lighted beacon at night. (see also history of Freemasonry in Cuba)

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