Emilio Portes Gil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emilio Portes Gil
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Emilio Portes Gil, 1928
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| 48th President of Mexico | |
| In office 1 December 1928 – 4 February 1930 |
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| Preceded by | Plutarco Elías Calles |
| Succeeded by | Pascual Ortiz Rubio |
| Attorney General of Mexico | |
| In office 5 September 1932 – 30 November 1934 |
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| President | Abelardo L. Rodríguez |
| Preceded by | José Aguilar y Maya |
| Succeeded by | Silvestre Castro |
| Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office 5 February 1930 – 28 April 1930 |
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| President | Pascual Ortiz Rubio |
| Preceded by | Carlos Riva Palacio |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Riva Palacio |
| In office 18 August 1928 – 30 November 1928 |
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| President | Plutarco Elías Calles |
| Preceded by | Gonzalo Vázquez Vela |
| Succeeded by | Felipe Canales |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Tamaulipas′s 3rd district |
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| In office 1 September 1922 – 4 February 1925 |
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| Preceded by | Eliseo L. Céspedes |
| Succeeded by | Lorenzo de la Garza |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 October 1890 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Died | 10 December 1978 (aged 88) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Resting place | Panteón Francés |
| Political party | Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) |
| Spouse |
Carmen García González
(m. 1924) |
| Children | 2 |
Emilio Cándido Portes Gil (born October 3, 1890 – died December 10, 1978) was a Mexican lawyer and politician. He served as the President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930. He became president after the elected leader, Álvaro Obregón, was assassinated. Since the Mexican Constitution did not allow the current president, Plutarco Elías Calles, to be re-elected right away, Portes Gil stepped in. Even though Portes Gil was president, Calles, known as the "Jefe Máximo" (Supreme Chief), still held a lot of power behind the scenes. This time is called the Maximato.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Emilio Portes Gil was born in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas, a state in northeastern Mexico. His family had roots in the Dominican Republic.
His father passed away when Emilio was young, and his family faced tough times. However, he received a special grant from the state government. This help allowed him to become a certified schoolteacher. Later, he decided to study law.
Starting His Career
Portes Gil was studying law when the Mexican Revolution began. In 1914, he joined the Constitutionalist group led by Venustiano Carranza. Carranza later became president of Mexico. After Portes Gil finished law school in 1915, he started working for the government in the military justice department.
He became close to important leaders of the Constitutionalist Army, especially Álvaro Obregón and Plutarco Elías Calles. Portes Gil showed great skills as a lawyer and administrator. These skills helped him rise quickly in politics.
Over the years, he worked in different government roles. He was a judge in Sonora and a legal advisor for the Ministry of War. He was also elected to Congress several times. He even served as the governor of his home state, Tamaulipas, twice.
Becoming President of Mexico
Before becoming president, Portes Gil served as the Minister of the Interior. In 1928, the newly elected president, Álvaro Obregón, was assassinated. This created a big political problem. To solve it, Portes Gil, with the support of Plutarco Elías Calles, became the temporary president for 14 months. During this time, new elections were planned.
As president, Portes Gil faced a major religious conflict called the Cristero War. This war had started because of strict laws against the Catholic Church. Portes Gil secretly worked to end this conflict. He promised the Church that they could ask Congress to change laws they didn't like. He also said the government would not interfere with the Church's internal matters. The government also offered forgiveness to the Cristero fighters. This agreement helped bring peace for many years.
Another challenge he faced was a strike by university students. Portes Gil handled this by calling a special meeting of Congress. This meeting led to a law that gave the National University of Mexico more independence. Solving this strike is one of his most remembered actions as president.
He also tried to get United States troops to leave Nicaragua. In exchange, he wanted Nicaraguan General Augusto Sandino to surrender. When these talks failed, Portes Gil gave Sandino a safe place to stay in Mexico.
Portes Gil wanted government officials to be honest and loyal. He encouraged them to work for the good of the country and the goals of the Revolution. His government also started projects to build schools, hospitals, and homes for everyday Mexicans. In Mexico City, a new hospital for tuberculosis patients was opened. The National Preparatory School was expanded, and a large sports center was built for everyone to use. New police and fire stations were also constructed.
Later Life and Legacy
After his term, Portes Gil handed over the presidency to Pascual Ortiz Rubio in 1930. However, Plutarco Elías Calles still held much of the real power. Portes Gil later served as Minister of the Interior for about 18 months.
He then traveled to Europe as Mexico's first representative to the League of Nations. Under later presidents, he held various important positions. These included ambassador to India, foreign minister, attorney-general, and president of the Partido Nacional Revolucionario (National Revolutionary Party).
In 1933, Lázaro Cárdenas was chosen as the presidential candidate. Calles tried to keep his power, but Cárdenas outsmarted him. Cárdenas eventually sent Calles out of Mexico. Cárdenas then put Portes Gil in charge of removing Calles's supporters from the party. Since Portes Gil had been one of the presidents Calles had controlled, he was happy to help.
Cárdenas later reorganized the party. Portes Gil then returned to his home state of Tamaulipas. He retired from politics in 1936. Emilio Portes Gil passed away in Mexico City in 1978 at the age of 88.
See also
In Spanish: Emilio Portes Gil para niños
