José M. Muria
C.
hen one thinks of the Spanish Republican exile and the help it received in Mexico, the government most associated with it is that of Lázaro Cárdenas. I think it’s the right thing to do, since he had to face the animosity and resistance of the enriched gachupiniza enthroned in our country and the aboriginal cristeros who have not ceased to exist, and leave well established the official support they enjoyed in Mexico until 1977. .
Remember that the survival of the regime headed by Francisco Franco constitutes one of the worst stigmas of the governments that reputed themselves as paradigms of the democracy of the civilized
Western world.
Not surprisingly, the memory of Cárdenas inevitably emerges when it comes to reminding Franco’s Spain of her, recalling her multiple crimes against humanity and keeping in mind that much of her spirit still survives.
As long as at least one of these refugees lived, the rumor that Cárdenas opened the doors for us
. It is true that other countries welcomed refugees as well, but more refugees came to Mexico than to all the other countries of America combined.
While it is true that Don Lázaro opened the doors, it is also true that Ávila Camacho did not close them. In fact, during his six-year term the number of refugees was greater… and something very important that was not said turned out to be truly unique: the governments of both countries not only waited, but also made great efforts to bring them. There it is, during a fundamental year: 1940, the management of Luis I. Rodríguez, and during the four-year period 39-42, the immeasurable effort of Gilberto Bosques.
But his work did not end when he left France. After being imprisoned by the Germans for more than a year, for almost a six-year term he continued his deed in Portugal and there were not a few Spaniards who, from there, saved his life when he went to Mexico.
Here come to mind not a few comments heard in my distant youth in the sense that Miguel Aleman had been somewhat hostile to the presence of Republicans in Mexico. I do not know what they were based on, but I refer to evidence to support that it is a completely false assertion.
Alemán becomes president on December 1, 1946. The war was over and the Allied powers gave no sign of kicking him. where I told you
to the generalissimo, but the Mexicans took advantage of the corruption of that regime to legally or illegally rescue many persecuted people. Four or five Spanish ships docked every year in Veracruz full of people who came from Barcelona or Bilbao with ticket
Simple: some were, in effect, persecuted who brought false documents and in Mexico they recovered their identity; Mothers also came, along with their children, who were finally able to reunite with their father, who had left Spain by foot several years before. Likewise, elderly people could be seen getting off those boats hugging their descendants who opened their arms to them on the dock.
All of this was possible because President Alemán was not against them. Two more details: who was governor of Veracruz during the Cárdenas government and Secretary of the Interior during the Ávila Camacho six-year term? You guessed if you thought of Mr. Miguel Aleman Valdez.
