SIX-YEAR PLAN: CHARACTERISTICS, POINTS AND PROPOSALS - HISTORY - 2025

The Sexennial Plan of Lázaro Cárdenas was the beginning of the definitive distancing from the policies carried out in Mexico by Plutarco Elías Calles and the Maximato during the previous decade. The Sexennial Plan was how the electoral proposal of Cárdenas, candidate for the legislature 1934-1940, was baptized.

The name comes from the duration of the presidential terms in Mexico (6 years): the message was that Cárdenas intended to comply with this. His candidacy was promulgated by the National Revolutionary Party, created by Calles, but his proposals broke with the policies of Calles and the governments in which he had influence.

Among its points were economic policies to support workers, as well as proposals to increase the country's industrial and agricultural growth.

The most important elements of this plan include the agrarian reform carried out in northern Mexico and the expropriation of the oil industry.

Background

Plutarco Elías Calles and the maximato

Before the arrival of Lázaro Cárdenas to the presidency, Mexico had lived through a few years in which the government was dominated by Plutarco Elías Calles.

Although he left the post at the end of his term, his influence on subsequent leaders was notorious and he was considered the true power.

Calles was the creator of the unique party, founding the National Revolutionary Party. This period is known as the maximato and was opposed by the sectors further to the left, despite the confrontations with the Church.

Ortiz Rubio's plan

Although there is no unanimity among historians, some consider that the direct antecedent of the Sexennial Plan presented by Cárdenas was the General Planning Law of the Mexican Republic. This had been proposed by President Ortiz Rubio and was approved in 1930.

Candidacy of Lázaro Cárdenas

The National Revolutionary Party proposed Lázaro Cárdenas as a presidential candidate in 1933. That is when the term Sexennial Plan was born, since it was how it named the political platform with which he ran for office.

This plan consisted of a series of points, a kind of electoral program that immediately won him the support of the peasants and workers. Thanks to this he was able to win the votes very easily.

As he had already announced, Cárdenas soon tried to distance himself from his predecessors. Thus, he did not want to reside in Chapultepec and soon took some action against the businesses of Calles' supporters.

characteristics

As previously mentioned, in this Six-Year Plan presented by Cárdenas a government action was established to which an attempt was made to adjust. Among the most important aspects were the promise of agrarian reform and the expropriation of the oil industry.

One of the fundamental characteristics of the plan was the attempt to reduce economic dependence on Mexico. According to what was written, it intended to "adopt the policy of economic nationalism as a resource for legitimate defense without incurring any historical responsibility."

Apart from the nationalization of oil, the Mexican Railways stood out in this regard.

In the political sphere, beyond the Sexennial Plan, Cárdenas ordered the exile of Calles. It is then when he has a free hand to develop his policy, without supporters of the former president in his government.

To combat the socializing measures that he undertook, conservative sectors founded the National Action Party (PAN) and the National Synarchist Union.

Protection of the most disadvantaged

Another of the points that Cárdenas favored with his decisions was to strengthen the educational system. He tried to get schools to many previously ignored rural areas and built institutions such as the National Polytechnic Institute or the Technical Council for Agricultural Education.

The distribution of land was one of the most important bases of his period of government, seeking to favor the poorest peasants. The expansion of irrigation systems also stood out in this regard.

In foreign affairs, Cárdenas clearly supported the Spanish republic in its war against Franco. It welcomed a large number of refugees, both adults and children.

Points and proposals

Ejidos and agrarian reform

Part of the Six-Year Plan dealt with the way in which he thought to promote agriculture, also favoring small producers and peasants.

For this, there was a great distribution of land. The Banco de Crédito Ejidal y Agrícola was dedicated to offering loans, while the different departments distributed up to 25 million hectares during their mandate.

To this must be added the great agrarian reform that he carried out in the north; It was the one that Emiliano Zapata had planned decades ago and it meant a revolution in the sector. The main intention was to create small productive units, capable of supplying those who worked them.

Favor unions

The Sexennial Plan offered clear support for the exclusion clause. Likewise, he rejected the so-called “white unions”. This meant that the workers and trade unionists were totally on his side during the six-year term.

Similarly, a Solidarity Pact was launched, with which it was intended to create a large worker and peasant organization.

Education

The points referring to education were abundant in the Sexennial Plan, since Cárdenas took as a reference the educational socialist current.

This trend wanted all Mexicans to have access to education in centers in which, apart from educating, children were fed. In this way, he tried to create more job and social opportunities.

Finally, he designed and founded institutions such as the National Polytechnic Institute. His goal was for Mexico to have its own researchers and to stop depending on the outside.

Petroleum Expropriation

Among all the policies included (and carried out) in the Six-Year Plan, the expropriation of the oil industry and its nationalization is the most important for the economy.

Cárdenas took advantage of a moment of US and British weakness -generated by the effects caused by the Great Depression- to recover the extraction and commercialization of crude oil.

Given that there was a confrontation between the workers and the foreign companies that dealt with the sector, the expropriation had the support of the trade union organizations.

The expropriation decree was signed on March 18, 1938, creating at the same time PEMEX, the national company.

References

1. National Revolutionary Party. Six-year plan for the presidential period 1934-1940. Recovered from manifestosdelpueblo.wordpress.com
2. Presidents.mx. Lazaro Cardenas. Obtained from presidents.mx
3. Sixtos Niniz, Francisco. Lázaro Cárdenas and his legacy in education. Obtained from linking.org
4. Arroyo, Luis. Mexico's Lazaro Cardenas, 'The Perfect Politician'. Retrieved from telesurtv.net
5. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Petroleum Expropriation Of 1938 (Mexico). Retrieved from encyclopedia.com
6. Mexican History. The Presidency of Lazaro Cardenas 1934 - 40. Retrieved from mexicanhistory.org
7. Wikipedia. Land reform in Mexico. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org