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Msc. IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES:
INDUSTRIALISATION STRATEGIES: MEXICO:
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*.- THE ROOTS OF "MODERN" MEXICO, MEXICAN INDUSTRIALISATION
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS THE OUTCOME OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION OF 1917.
*.- As we have seen, THE 34-year capitalist dictatorship under General Porfirio Diaz ( 1877-1911 ) collapsed into instability leading to the what became the MEXICAN REVOLUTION.
DIAZ'S INCUMBENCY SAW.....
*.- external/internal POLITICAL/ECONOMIC STABILISATION.,
*.- expansion of exports,
*.- Infrastructural development, directed towards facilitating
*.- exportation of raw materials/cash crops.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE POLITICAL ELITE IN THE BEGINNING DECADES OF THE 20th C.
ANATOMY OF THE REVOLUTION: THE ROOTS OF DIAZ'S DOWNFALL: COMBINATION OF:
a.- THE DEEPENING DEPRESSION IN THE STATES AND ECONOMIC CRISIS OF 1907.
b.- DEEPENING POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN :
CIENTIFICOS CAUDILLOS
Diaz et. al. e.g. Gen. Reyes
progressive liberal technocrats traditional oligarchic with business connection in factions in NORTH AND EAST
Mexico City.
i.- centralisation/concentration i.- anti centralisation
of power at the centre, pro. diffusion of power.
ii.- pro. modernisation
*.- the cientificos..saw the centralisation and concentration of power as prerequisites to STATE BUILDING; i.e. move towards stable constitutional government etc..a prerequisite to industrial development and modernisation/ BASED ON RATIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT...hence... CIENTIFICOS....e.g. Chile and Venezuela.....
*.- This necessitated the diffusion of regionalism and separatist tendencies exemplified by the regional oligarchic elites.
Mounting resentment against increasing US presence/FDI + deepening conflict between the two factions + downturn in the economy =
SOCIAL CONFLICT
DIAZ was eventually overthrown in 1910 by Madero. Period of instability and successive coups...MOSTLY by cientificos...who were being isolated by Madero et. al.
PERIOD OF INTERREGNUM
*.- traditional factions lost ground
*.- Madero couldn't mobilise suff. support/army's backing
Gen. VICTORIANO HUERTA emerged as the leader; with army and US support ( Amb. Henry Lane Wilson ) overthrew Madero...attempted to build coalition between the traditional factions and cientificos.
WHAT TRANSPIRED AND FOLLOWED WAS A CIVIL WAR BETWEEN THE MEXICAN OLIGARCHIES...OF:
*.- MEXICO CITY AND CENTRAL AREAS
*.- TRADITIONAL RULING ELITES AND NEW FACTIONS FROM THE NORTHEAST
*.- THE RADICAL GROUPINGS; VILLA/ZAPATA.
E.G...
a.- NORTHERN INSURGENCY, ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTHERN CONSTITUTIONAL ARMY, LED BY VENUSTIANO CARRANZA....PLAN OF GUADANLUPE...CALLING FOR HUERTA's OVERTHROW AND RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT.
CONSTITUTIONAL ARMY.....
- NORTHERN BRANCH.....CARRANZA
- NORTH-WEST..........OBREGON
- NORTH-CENTRAL........VILLA
PLATFORM: SOCIAL REFORM...ADVOCATING 2. BASED ON ATTRACTING DISAFFECTED PEASANTS/UNEMPLOYED WORKERS ETC....DIRECTED AT ISOLATING THE MORE RADICAL VILLA/ZAPATA.
HUERTA DEPOSED BY CARRENZA...WITH US ACTIVE SUPPORT/BACKING
- THIS DUE TO HUERTA.CIENTIFICO FAVOURING OF BRITISH - - RATHER THAN AMERICAN OIL INTERESTS.
THE ASCENDENCE OF CARRANZA MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE:
- UNIFICATION OF MEXICO...
- THE POLITICAL DEFEAT/ISOLATION OF THE OLD ORDER...
THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTIONAL DRAFT PROPOSED BY CARRENZA...WAS AMENDED BY RADICAL ALTERNATIVE PUT FORWARD BY OBREGON FACTION.
THIS RADICAL-LIBERAL CONSTITUTION BECAME THE BASIS FOR THE FOUNDATION OF THE NEW STATE.
THIS PROVIDE FOR...
*.- COMPLETE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
*.- ART. 3. ABOLISHED RELIGIOUS EDUCATION/NEW SECULAR EDUCTION SYSTEM.
*.- ART. 14 REAFFIRMED THE SANCTITY OF PRIVATE PROPERTY
*.- ART. 27 QUALIFIED THE ABOVE BY INTRODUCING CONCEPTS OF
SOCIAL UTILITY AND NATIONAL BENEFITS, BY ASSERTING OWNERSHIP OVER ALL SUB-SOIL RESOURCES / LAND REFORM PROG.
*.- ART. 123 ASSERTED THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS ETC/ MIN.WAGES/ RIGHT TO STRIKE; PLUS PUBLIC HEALTH PROGS.
NOTES: ART. 27 BROUGHT THE OBREGON ADMIN IN CONFLICT WITH US OIL INTERESTS.. REQUIRING EXEMPTION FOR CONCESSION PRIOR TO 1917.
THIS CONCESSION WAS GRANTED IN 1923...
1924...NOMINATION OF CALLES BY OBREGON....PRECIPITATED CIVIL WAR WHICH WAS DEFEATED BY THE INCUMBENT...
*.- OIL CONCESSIONS EXTENDED TO US..SECURED VITAL ARMS SUPPLIES.
CALLAS's ELECTION MARKED BY:
*.- INSURGENCY BY CATHOLIC PRIESTS, AGAINST ANTI-CHURCH LEGISLATION.
*.- CONSTITUTIONAL OBSTACLES TO CENTRALISATION/CONCENTRATION AND CONTINUED MONOPOLISATION OF POWER.
HENCE......THE CONSOLIDATION OF POWER:
THE EMERGENCE OF THE ONE PARTY SYSTEM...
THIS REPRESENTED THE INSTITUTIONALISATION OF POWER OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY ELITE UNDER THE RUBRIC OF ONE NATIONAL PARTY,
THE NATIONAL REVOLUTIONARY PARTY (NRP), WHICH WOULD FORMULATE THE RULES FOR PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION: THIS WAS IN EFFECT THE PRESERVATION OF OLIGARCHIC GOVERNMENT BEHIND A DEMOCRATIC FACADE....A SYSTEM WHICH SURVIVES TO THIS DAY.
( SEE APPENDIX)
THE WORLD DEPRESSION AFFECTED THE MEXICAN ECONOMY----> PRODUCTION FELL-----> NEO-FASCIST TENDENCIES EMERGED + CONTINUING STRIFE WITH THE DISAFFECTED CATHOLIC CHURCH......
THE ENSUING UNREST...SHIFTED GOV. POLICIES TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF LAND REDISTRIBUTION/REFORM PROGRAMME AND AWAY FROM IRRIGATION AND EXPORT LED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.
UPON HIS ELECTION, CARDENAS (1934-40); CONSOLIDATED HIS POWER BASE BY EXILING THE SECRETIVE ELITE THAT HAD EMERGED UNDER OBREGON...
THE PARTY MACHINERY WAS REORGANISED TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS:
*.- LABOUR/INSTITUTIONALISED IN TRADE UNIONS
*.- AGRARIAN SECTOR
*.- POPULAR SECTION INCLD. BUREAUCRATS/TEACHERS ETC.
*.- THE MILITARY.
UNDER CARDENSA...THE BEGINNINGS OF A RADICAL\REFORMIST PROG.
*.- THE NATIONALISATION OF RAILWAYS
*.- LAND REDISTRIBUTION
44 mil hectares redistributed > 2x as much as before
N.B.- problems with parcelisation/ administration/ corruption. Also bad credit provision to smaLl- holders
*.- DEFAULTS ON FOREIGN DEBT.
*.- THE NATIONALISATION OF MEXICAN OIL (PEMEX).
*.- INCREASINGLY INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY
*.- STATE CONTROL OVER BANKING/INSURANCE ETC.
*.- CREATION OF STRONG LABOUR WING
IN OTHER WORDS..PUTTING INTO PLACE THE BASIS FOR THE POST WW2
IMPORT SUBSTITUTION INDUSTRIALISATION.
SO...BY 1940...THE OLD POLITICAL ORDER HAD BEEN REPLACED BY THE NEW...IT HAD TAKEN 30 YRS. FOR IT TO HAPPEN....
*.- IT CONSISTED OF A ONE PARTY STATE...
*.- WITH THE SIX-YEARLY VIRTUAL DICTATORSHIP OF THE PRESIDENT.
*.- PREDICATED ON A NATIONALIST IDEOLOGY
*.- COMMITTED TO VIGOROUS CAPITALIST DEVELOPMENT
*.- AIDE BY US/FDI.
FROM: STATE-LED CAPITALIST DEV. BASED ON MODERN AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTION WITH COMBINATION OF FDI AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT (UNDER OBREGON/CALLES)
TO: (AFTER CARDENAS) ONE LED MY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY UNDER THE RENAMED PRI - THE INSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTIONARY PARTY (1946).
WORLd WAR II- (1941-45):
ELECTION OF MANUEL CAMACHO (1940-46) AND MIGUEL ALEMAN (1946-52),
MARKED THE BEGINNINGS OF SHIFT AWAY FROM CARDENAS YEARS...
*.- SHIFT AWAY FROM SMALL SCALE LAND DISTRIBUTION AMONG PEASANTS
*.- MASSIVE HYDRAULIC PROJECTS TO PROVIDE ELECTRIC POWER.
*.- PROVIDE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AGRO-BUSINESS GROWTH.
*.- SHIFT FROM OIL PRODUCTION FOR EXPORT TO PRODUCTION FOR INTERNAL CONSUMPTION.
*.- ECONOMIC INTEGRATION:EXPANSION OF AIRWAYS/RAILWAYS/COMMUNICATIONS.
*.- MASSIVE POP. GROWTH PRECIPITATED MARKET EXPANSION.
*.- TRANSFORMATION OF BASIC ECONOMIC STRUCTURES TO MEET
WAR-INDUCED SHORTAGES IN IMPORTED GOODS.
*.- EXPANSION URBANISATION - CENTRED ON MEXICO CITY.
APPENDIX.
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GOVERNMENT: AN OVER VIEW
Mexico is a federal republic of 31 states and a federal district, based in Mexico City. The constitution dates from 1917 and is broadly based on the US model. Legislative power rests with a two-chamber national congress of senate, chamber of deputies, and directly elected president. The senate has a six-year term and the deputies serve for three years. The president serves a six-year term and chooses the cabinet. The senate has 128 members, each state and the federal district being represented by four senators. Three of these are elected by majority election and the fourth by proportional representation. The chamber has 500 members: 300 representing single-member constituencies and 200 elected by proportional representation so as to give due weight to minority parties.Members of congress are elected by universal suffrage. Each state has an elected governor and chamber of deputies, elected for a six-year term.
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