Gerardo Machado

Gerardo Machado y Morales
President of the Republic of Cuba
In office
20 May 1925 – 12 August 1933
Vice PresidentCarlos de la Rosa
Preceded byAlfredo Zayas
Succeeded byAlberto Herrera y Franchi
Personal details
Born
Gerardo Machado y Morales

(1869-09-28)28 September 1869
Camajuaní, Santa Clara, Spanish Cuba
Died29 March 1939(1939-03-29) (aged 69)
Miami Beach, Florida, United States
NationalityCuba Cuban
Political partyLiberal
SpouseElvira Machado Nodal
ChildrenLaudelina (Nena) Machado-Machado
Ángela Elvira Machado-Machado
Berta Machado-Machado

Gerardo Machado y Morales (28 September 1869 – 29 March 1939) was a general of the Cuban War of Independence and President of Cuba from 1925 to 1933.

Machado entered the presidency with widespread popularity and support from the major political parties. However, his support declined over time. Many people objected to his running again for re-election in 1928, as his victory violated his promise to serve for only one term. As protests and rebellions became more strident, his administration curtailed free speech and used repressive police tactics against opponents.

Ultimately, in 1933, Machado was forced to step down in favor of a provisional government headed by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes y Quesada and brokered by US ambassador Sumner Welles. Machado has been described as a dictator.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Harris M. Lentz (4 February 2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-134-26490-2.
  2. ^ Jay Mallin (1 January 1994). Covering Castro: Rise and Decline of Cuba's Communist Dictator. Transaction Publishers. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-4128-2053-0.
  3. ^ Fitzgibbon, Russell H.; Healey, H. Max (1936). "The Cuban Elections of 1936". American Political Science Review. 30 (4): 724–735. doi:10.2307/1947948. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1947948. S2CID 146976235.