| rdfs:comment | - In 1955, there was a popular uprising led by Mexican socialist and leftist revolutionaries against the presidency of Umberto Ruiz. Although Ruiz was a member of the historically left-wing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (which had operated de facto one-party rule since the end of the Revolution), he and his predecessors since the conclusion of World War II, shifted the policies of the party towards the right, in support of the international business community and social conservatives, which was seen as a betrayal to the principles and ideals of the Revolution of 1910. Ruiz repressed labor strikes and political demonstrations prolifically during his administration, and held extensive ties with foreign companies centered in the Yucatán, which included agriculture and mining companies
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| abstract | - In 1955, there was a popular uprising led by Mexican socialist and leftist revolutionaries against the presidency of Umberto Ruiz. Although Ruiz was a member of the historically left-wing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (which had operated de facto one-party rule since the end of the Revolution), he and his predecessors since the conclusion of World War II, shifted the policies of the party towards the right, in support of the international business community and social conservatives, which was seen as a betrayal to the principles and ideals of the Revolution of 1910. Ruiz repressed labor strikes and political demonstrations prolifically during his administration, and held extensive ties with foreign companies centered in the Yucatán, which included agriculture and mining companies. Ruiz was impeached on the grounds of corruption and bribery in 1955 and was constitutionally removed by members of his own party in the Mexican Congress. Thereafter, elections were held and Soledad Solis, a left-wing populist, was elected as the new president, and new leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Solis passed far-reaching reforms on land and labor, outlawing various practices of businesses which were allowed under Ruiz, and strengthened worker conditions through introducing a series of regulations directed against the private community. He also sought to nationalize the petroleum industry, which had up until that point, been managed by a number of multinational firms with connections with the Mexican political elite. He also sought to move away from relying on Anglo-America for support, seeking to adopt a neutral foreign policy and aligning closer with other fellow Latin American nations. With his reforms seen as a threat to private interests, and a dangerous precedent of socialism that could be replicated throughout the rest of Latin America, the Anglo-American community cooperated together in engineering a military coup which would oust Solis from power, and install an administration which would maintain the pro-business and pro-American policies prior to Solis' ascension. In January 1956, Solis made a recess appointment for fellow party member Vicente Mendieta as his Secretary of the Interior while Congress was in recess, which was constitutionally permitted. However, prior to Solis' assumption of power, Congress passed a decree which placed a temporary prohibition on recess appointments, thus making Solis' appointment illegal. Disputing this with the Supreme Court, Solis insisted that his appointment was legal, and that Congress' decree was contradicting the Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Congress, and Solis quickly recognized the decision, and declared that his appointment of Mendieta as invalid. However, Congress used this as a grounds to impeach Solis, an action that Solis flatly rejected, and refused to attend. Interpreting this as an act of defiance against congressional order, Congress requested military intervention, accusing of Solis of "floundering" the powers of the presidency. The military, which had been working closely with Anglo-American operatives at the time, mobilized and stormed Mexico City, arresting Solis and his allies, and declared martial law under General Francisco Alarcón. The coup was widely condemned internationally as politically motivated, although at the time, Anglo-American involvement in the coup was unknown. Within several years, Mexico under Alarcón's rule saw rapid economic growth and continued liberalization at the expense of civil and political liberties, and had largely become recognized by most Western powers. The coup was seen as the chief precursor and model for similar coups throughout Latin America during the Cold War, and led to years of massive human rights violations, economic inequality, state terrorism, and genocide against the Maya under Alarcón. After the Cold War ended, declassified military information and documents revealed the Anglo-American governments' involvement in the war, and subsequent apologies and calls for reparations were issued. The coup continues to be a major source of contention and controversy in Mexican politics, especially in regards to Mexico's own relationship with the Anglo-American community.
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