Gerardo Machado (y Morales) (1871 - 1939), was a Cuban general and political figure. He rose to the office of President of Cuba on May 20, 1925 and left office on August 24, 1933. Elected at the time of a fall in world sugar prices, he was a Cuban industrialist and member of the political elite. Machado was an economic reformer who tried to wean Cuba off of its heavy reliance on the sugar industry and resultant dependency on the United States. His presidency saw the passage of the Vejeda Act of 1926, a failed attempt to raise sugar prices by cutting production, and the Customs-Tariff Law of 1927, a successful attempt to encourage the diversification of Cuban industry.

References

• Perez-Stable, Marifeli (1999); The Cuban Revolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press.