151-407: Benito Pablo Juárez García ( Spanish: [beˈnito ˈpaβlo ˈxwaɾes ɣaɾˈsi.a] ; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican politician, military commander, and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. Of Zapotec ancestry, he was the first indigenous president of Mexico and the first democratically elected indigenous president in
302-611: A Conservative coup overthrew Arista, and brought back Santa Anna for what would end up being his final dictatorship. Juárez fell victim to the restored Santa Anna, and the authorities confined him to the fortress of San Juan de Ullua. He was eventually released and exiled to Havana, from which he then traveled to New Orleans . There he found a day job as a cigar maker in one of the city's factories, while his wife remained in Mexico with their children, and were looked after by Liberal partisans. His time as governor of Oaxaca had not left him with
453-525: A Liberal body of troops under Miguel Cruz de Aedo arrived in order to negotiate. Landa was allowed to leave Guadalajara, and the Liberal prisoners were released as well. Juárez and his cabinet now made their way to the port of Manzanillo from which they embarked for the Liberal stronghold of Veracruz by way of Panama. On 4 May 1858, Juárez arrived in Veracruz where the government of Manuel Gutiérrez Zamora
604-576: A barracks revolt in Oaxaca City, but the Ayutla movement ultimately triumphed by August 1855, when Santa Anna resigned, subsequently fleeing the nation. Juan Álvarez was elected president in October 1855 and his administration inaugurated what would come to be known as La Reforma an unprecedented attempt to pass through progressive constitutional reforms for Mexico culminating in the promulgation of
755-612: A cook. In 1818, while the Mexican War of Independence was ongoing, a twelve year old Juárez entered domestic service under the lay Franciscan and bookbinder Antonio Salanueva. The young boy showed potential at primary school, upon which Salanueva sought to sponsor Juárez to enter a seminary to study for the priesthood. Juárez entered the seminary in Spring of 1821, only a few months before Mexico won its independence in September of
906-434: A decree on 6 November 1860, fixing the date of presidential and congressional elections for the following January, with the newly elected congress scheduled to meet on 19 February. After Guadalajara was captured on 20 December 1860, the Liberal armies had an unrestricted path back towards Mexico City. Liberal troops entered the capital on Christmas Day 1860 without encountering any military Conservative resistance. Juárez won
1057-446: A dictator (because of PRI's party discipline), the current times show the president's power as somewhat limited. In 2004, President Fox threatened to veto the budget approved by Congress, claiming the budget overstepped his authority to lead the country, only to learn no branch of government had the power to veto a decree issued by another branch of government (although a different, non jurisprudence -setting ruling stated he could return
1208-405: A discreet life. This is partly because they do not want to interfere with the government of the new president and partly because they may not have a good public image. This tradition can be traced back to the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas . Former president Plutarco Elías Calles had personally selected Cárdenas as his successor, and had hoped to control things from behind the scenes as he had for
1359-490: A group of technocrats known as científicos ("scientists"), whose economic policies benefited a circle of allies and foreign investors, helping hacendados consolidate large estates, often through violent means and legal abuse. These policies grew increasingly unpopular, resulting in civil repression and regional conflicts, as well as strikes and uprisings from labor and the peasantry, groups that did not share in Mexico's growth. Despite public statements in 1908 favoring
1510-423: A lack of popular support and began to pressure him to abdicate. French authorities considered forming an alternative Liberal government, more accommodating, and less humiliating to French interests than Juárez, and Díaz was proposed but ultimately rejected as a candidate to lead such a government due to his loyalty to Juárez. The alternative government scheme never materialized, Maximilian refused to abdicate, and
1661-468: A majority, and might actually be defeated. While the votes were being counted, the tabulation system mysteriously shut down. The government declared Salinas the winner, leading to allegations of electoral fraud. The 1997 federal congressional election saw the first opposition Chamber of Deputies ever, and the 2000 elections saw Vicente Fox of a PAN / PVEM alliance become the first opposition candidate to win an election since 1911. This historical defeat
SECTION 10
#17327718804151812-540: A period of unprecedented constitutional change for Mexico, and Juárez was to be a key figure throughout this era. Prior to La Reforma , and dating back to the legal system of New Spain , neither clerics nor soldiers were under the jurisdiction of the civil judiciary, and could only be tried for all offenses under their own respective, independent court systems. It was the aim of the Liberal Party to abolish all such sovereign court systems and bring all offenses under
1963-482: A position which he held until 1846. The Centralist Republic itself would be overthrown in 1846 at the beginning of the Mexican American War , and Oaxaca regained its federal autonomy, its executive now led by a triumvirate which included Juárez. He was subsequently elected to the national congress as a deputy for Oaxaca. Juárez supported President Valentín Gómez Farías , who had returned to power. There
2114-445: A priest, whom they accused of abuses. He did not win the case, and was thrown into jail along with community members, "thanks to the collusion between Church and the state," writing later that it "strengthened in me the goal of working constantly to destroy the pernicious power of the privileged classes." Juárez gained the goal of fighting for equality before the law in the face of the lingering legal privileges that remained in Mexico from
2265-556: A raid upon the capital and Díaz left his congressional seat to join Ignacio Mejía and Jesús González Ortega in once more defending the city. At Xalatlaco , Díaz without waiting for orders fell upon the forces of Marquez and won a notable victory. The Conservative forces were scattered and fled into the hills. At the opening of the Second French Intervention, in which France would attempt to overthrow
2416-459: A reform was made on Article 34 reordering the colors of the sash. A new sash was made putting the colors of the sash back to the previous order that was used from 1924 through 2009. In swearing-in ceremonies, the outgoing President turns in the sash to the current President of the Chamber of Deputies , who in turn gives it to the new president after the latter has sworn the oath of office. The sash
2567-483: A return to democracy and not running again for office, Díaz reversed himself and ran in the 1910 election . Díaz, then 80 years old, failed to institutionalize presidential succession, triggering a political crisis between the científicos and the followers of General Bernardo Reyes , allied with the military and peripheral regions of Mexico. After Díaz declared himself the winner for an eighth term, his electoral opponent, wealthy estate owner Francisco I. Madero , issued
2718-623: A seat of power since the Aztec Empire , with the materials of the current building taken from the palace of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II . The President also has the use of Chapultepec Castle , formerly the imperial palace of the Second Mexican Empire , then the official residence of Mexican presidents until 1934, when Lázaro Cárdenas established the presidential residence at Los Pinos . Andrés Manuel López Obrador moved
2869-597: A vast fortune, and he survived off of his cigar rolling job and funds sent to him from Mexico by his wife. Juárez met other Liberal exiles in New Orleans including the anti-clerical former governor of Michoacan Melchor Ocampo , and the Cuban separatist exile, Pedro Santacicilia , who later married Juárez's oldest daughter, and served as a valuable ally during the Reform War and the second French intervention As
3020-424: Is a cornerstone of Mexican politics). In fact, tradition called for the incumbent president to fade into the background during the campaign to elect their successor. This renewed command helped maintain party discipline and avoided the stagnation associated with a single person holding power for decades, prompting Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa to call Mexico's political system "the perfect dictatorship" since
3171-574: Is issued by Congress. The president's office may suggest a budget, but at the end of the day, it is Congress that decrees how to collect taxes and how to spend them. A Supreme Court ruling on Vicente Fox's veto of the 2004 budget suggests that the President may have the right to veto decrees from Congress. Since 1997, the Congress has been plural, usually with opposition parties having a majority. Major reforms (tax, energy) have to pass by Congress, and
SECTION 20
#17327718804153322-693: Is the symbol of the Executive Federal Power, and may only be worn by the current President. According to Article 35 of the Law on the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem , the President must wear the sash at the swearing-in ceremony, when they make their annual State of the Union report to Congress, during the commemoration of the Grito de Dolores on 15 September of each year, and when they receive
3473-459: Is unknown. 15 September is an important date in Mexican history, the eve of Miguel Hidalgo 's Grito de Dolores , which triggered the Mexican War of Independence in 1810. After Díaz became president, it would become customary to commemorate the Grito de Dolores on the eve of its anniversary. Díaz's father, José Díaz, was a Criollo (a Mexican of predominantly Spanish ancestry). José Díaz
3624-648: The Ley Lerdo , which with the aim of selling them off to stimulate economic development, had nationalized most of the Catholic Church's properties, along with the communal properties of Mexico's Indigenous communities. The new constitution which would come to be known as the Constitution of 1857 , was promulgated on 5 February 1857, with the aim of coming into effect on Mexican Independence Day, 16 September of that year. It had abandoned Roman Catholicism as
3775-584: The Battle of Miahuatlán on 3 October, and then advanced upon Oaxaca City which surrendered by 1 November 1866. Most of southern Mexico except for certain areas of Yucatan were now back in the hands of the Mexican Republic. Díaz now concentrated his forces in northern Oaxaca, Vera Cruz, Mexico, and Puebla for future operations. On 9 March 1867, Díaz began the Third Battle of Puebla , subjecting
3926-489: The Centralist Republic of Mexico in which the states of the nation were replaced by departments directly administered by Mexico City. For this, Juárez was briefly imprisoned, but he was shortly released. Juárez then returned to private practice. After practicing law for several years. In 1842 Liberal governor of Oaxaca Antonio León , appointed Juárez to serve as a Civil and Revenue Judge for the state of Oaxaca,
4077-656: The Constitution of 1857 . Conservative Party resistance ended up triggering the outbreak of the Reform War in late 1857, at the same time when Díaz's old mentor, Benito Juarez became president. The Conservatives set up their rival government in opposition to Juarez and the Liberals. Díaz at this time was still in Oaxaca. He had previously accepted a commission as captain in the National Guard in December 1856. As
4228-470: The Constitution of Mexico , the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander in chief of the Mexican Armed Forces . The office, which was first established by the federal Constitution of 1824 , is currently held by Claudia Sheinbaum , who was sworn-in on October 1, 2024. The office of the president is considered to be revolutionary, in the sense that
4379-598: The Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Power ; after it has heard and ruled on them, the Tribunal must either declare the election invalid or certify the results of the elections in accordance to their rulings. Once the Tribunal declares the election valid, it issues a Constancia de Mayoría (English: Certificate of Plurality , lit. 'Certificate of Majority') to
4530-627: The Juárez Law as part of the broader program of constitutional reforms known as La Reforma (The Reform). Later, as the head of the Supreme Court, he succeeded to the presidency upon the resignation of the Liberal president Ignacio Comonfort in the early weeks of the Reform War between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party , and led the Liberal Party to victory after three years of warfare. Almost immediately after
4681-533: The Liberal government of Mariano Arista and raised Santa Anna for what would turn out to be his final dictatorship. Many prominent Liberals were expelled from the country, including Benito Juarez who found refuge in New Orleans. Don Marcos Perez was arrested, but Díaz was able to communicate with him in prison with the help of Díaz's brother Félix. In March 1854 the Plan of Ayutla broke out against Santa Anna led by
Benito Juárez - Misplaced Pages Continue
4832-520: The Mexican Republic and replace it with a client monarchy, Díaz had advanced to the rank of general and was in command of an infantry brigade. He was present at the first engagement of the war when he lost three-fourths of his men after the French attacked his brigade in the state of Veracruz . He retreated and joined up with the forces of Ignacio Zaragoza to continue harassing the enemy in
4983-542: The Mexican-American War broke out, and Díaz joined an Oaxacan military battalion. He practiced drills and attended lectures on tactics and strategy at the Institute of Arts and Sciences , but he never saw combat by the time the war ended in 1848. By 1849, Díaz decided that he did not have a vocation to the priesthood and over the objections of his family decided to switch his studies to law. He gained
5134-747: The Plan of San Luis Potosí calling for armed rebellion against Díaz, leading to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution . In May 1911, after the Federal Army suffered several defeats against the forces supporting Madero, Díaz resigned in the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez and went into exile in Paris, where he died four years later. Porfirio Díaz was the sixth of seven children, baptized on 15 September 1830, in Oaxaca, Mexico , but his exact date of birth
5285-509: The Reform War . During the Second French Intervention in Mexico , Díaz fought in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, which temporarily repulsed the invaders, but was captured when the French besieged the city with reinforcements a year later. He escaped captivity and made his way to Oaxaca City , becoming political and military commander over all of Southern Mexico, and successfully resisting French efforts to advance upon
5436-551: The presidential system of government. Chapter III of Title III of the Constitution deals with the executive branch of government and sets forth the powers of the president, as well as the qualifications for the office. The president is vested with the "Supreme Executive Power of the Union". To be eligible to serve as president, Article 82 of the Constitution specifies that the following requirements must be met: The ban on any sort of presidential re-election dates back to
5587-456: The 1917 Constitution, the president exercised nearly absolute control over the country. Much of this power came from the de facto monopoly status of the PRI. As mentioned above, they effectively chose their successor as president by personally nominating the PRI's candidate in the next election. In addition, the unwritten rules of the PRI allowed them to designate party officials and candidates all
5738-450: The 19th and early 20th centuries had careers in one of two fields: the armed forces (typically the army ) or the law. President Manuel Ávila Camacho (1940–1946) was the last president to have been a career military officer. Most of his successors have been lawyers; in fact, all the presidents between 1958 and 1988 graduated from law school . Presidents Salinas (1988–1994) and Zedillo (1994–2000) were both trained as economists . Since
5889-484: The 19th century. Benito Juárez was born on 21 March 1806, in the village of San Pablo Guelatao , Oaxaca , located in the mountain range since named for him, the Sierra Juárez . It was a small settlement of about two hundred inhabitants, made up of straw huts, and a small church, the village being located at the edge of a mountain pond known for its picturesque transparent waters, and called La Laguna Encantada ,
6040-466: The 20,000 troops commanded by Ortega. The Mexican defenders would hold out for two months from 16 March to 17 May in 1863, until they ran out of provisions. Against the advice of Díaz who suggested an offense, Ortega simply maintained a policy of defense, until the city was stormed. As street fighting broke out at the beginning of April, Díaz was in command of the most exposed quarter of the city made up of seventeen blocks, and he made his headquarters at
6191-612: The British government aimed to respect Mexican sovereignty and maintain cordial relations between both countries. On 27 May, Wyke met with the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs Zarco, with the latter attempting to convince Wyke of the impossibility for Mexico to meet its current foreign debts. On 3 June, President Juárez issued a decree, under the authority of congress postponing all payments to foreign creditors for one year. Events were now set in motion which would culminate in
Benito Juárez - Misplaced Pages Continue
6342-537: The Constitution were published in the Official Journal of the Federation . The succession provisions have come into play only twice since the current constitution was enacted. In 1928, after the assassination of president-elect Álvaro Obregón , Congress appointed Emilio Portes Gil as Interim President; Portes Gil served in the position for 14 months while new elections were called. Pascual Ortiz Rubio
6493-422: The Constitution which include the following: A decree is a legislative instrument that has an expiration date and that is issued by one of the three branches of government. Congress may issue decrees, and the President may issue decrees as well. They have all the power of laws but cannot be changed by a power that did not issue them. They are very limited in their extent. One such decree is the federal budget, which
6644-717: The French Intervention, Forey who had once fought against Díaz at Puebla, criticized Bazaine for not having had Díaz shot immediately upon capturing him. Throughout late 1865, as the French were still unable to secure the entire country, Napoleon III was led to the conclusion that France had gotten involved in a military quagmire. At the opening of the French Chambers in January 1866, he announced his intention of withdrawing French troops from Mexico. The French considered Emperor Maximilian to be doomed due to
6795-506: The French administration and the military of the conquered Mexican territories fell upon Marshal Bazaine , already present with the expedition, who officially assumed his post on 1 October 1862. By October 1863 Díaz was placed in charge of the Eastern division of the Mexican military with command over 3000 men. General Díaz proceeded to sweep through the states of Queretaro , Michoacan , and Mexico , into Guerrero , proceeding to capture
6946-467: The French as a means of receiving the military aid that would return them to power. Díaz would once again have to fight many of the men he once faced in the Reform War such as Leonardo Márquez and the ex-Conservative president Miguel Miramon . Eventually, Porfirio Díaz as well would be personally asked to join the French, an offer which he would refuse. The French loss at the Battle of Puebla delayed
7097-527: The French left him in Mexico to his fate, the last French troops departing by March 1867. When Díaz returned to Oaxaca in late 1865, he found his army of the South dispersed, and enemy forces controlling the Oaxacan coast along with Tehuantepec . By Spring, 1866, Díaz had gained some victories, aided by local uprisings. He began to focus on cutting off communications between Oaxaca City and Veracruz Díaz won
7248-410: The French march into the interior of Mexico by a year while Lorencez awaited reinforcements from France. Meanwhile, Díaz had been made military governor of the Veracruz district. Soon after the Battle of Puebla, General Zaragoza died of typhus and was replaced in his command by Jesús González Ortega . A second French siege of Puebla was this time led by Élie Frédéric Forey with 26,000 men, against
7399-556: The French were repulsed by attacks of Mexican cavalry and infantry. During the battle, Díaz was not present at the hill but rather on the plains to the right of the Mexican front, where he repulsed another French attack. General Díaz pursued the French on their retreat to the Hacienda San Jose Renteria until recalled by Zaragoza. The French attributed their defeat at Puebla to a lack of Conservative Party support. The Mexican monarchist expatriates who had given
7550-516: The Interior for a period of up to sixty days until the President reassumes executive powers. As per Article 83, no person who has already served as president, whether elected, provisional, interim, or substitute, can be designated as provisional, interim, or substitute president. The designation of the Secretary of the Interior as the immediate successor dates to August 2012, when the changes to
7701-654: The Liberal Plan of Ayutla broke out against Santa Anna in March, 1855, Juárez sought to return to Mexico. He arrived at the port of Acapulco near the Southern center of the revolt in the summer of 1855. Santa Anna fled the nation and a subsequent Liberal assembly elected Juan Alvarez as the new president. Juárez, who had been secretary to the assembly was made Minister of Justice and Religion. The Plan of Ayutla had inaugurated what would come to be known as La Reforma ,
SECTION 50
#17327718804157852-478: The Liberal caudillo Juan Álvarez . After openly expressing support for Álvarez, Díaz was forced to flee Oaxaca City and joined up with the Liberal partisan, Francisco Herrera. Authorities managed to attack and disperse Herrera's troops, and Díaz once more had to flee, but the Ayutla movement was increasingly growing in strength. When the Liberals captured Oaxaca City, Díaz was made subprefect of Ixtlan . As sub-prefect Díaz helped in an ill-fated effort to put down
8003-586: The Liberal armies were making advances upon Mexico City. General Degollado occupied the suburbs of Mexico City throughout February and March, 1859, only to be repulsed by the efforts of the Conservative General Marquez, who then gained infamy for shooting all of his prisoners of war in the suburb of Tacubaya. Juárez remained entrenched in Vera Cruz. In the course of the war through 1859, the Liberals captured Mazatlan and Colima. By April,
8154-487: The Liberals during the Reform War and returned to banditry after the war's end. The reconstruction of the country also involved a reorganization of finances, but for the time being the Mexican government found it impossible to meet its domestic and its foreign obligations. A British Minister Plenipotentiary, Sir Charles Wyke , was commissioned on 30 March 1861, to negotiate British claims while providing reassurance that
8305-765: The Pacific Ocean, and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec was the narrowest crossing in Mexico between the bodies of water. Juárez needing allies against the Conservatives, and his government proceeded to negotiate and ratify the McLane-Ocampo Treaty by December 1859. The treaty would have granted the United States perpetual extraterritorial rights for its citizens and its military through key strategic routes in Mexico. The treaty however, ultimately
8456-734: The Party of the Mexican Revolution and is now the Institutional Revolutionary Party . From then, the PRI ruled Mexico as a virtual one-party state until 1989, when Ernesto Ruffo Appel was elected the first state governor from an opposition party. Toward the end of their term, the incumbent president, in consultation with party leaders, selected the PRI's candidate in the next election in a procedure known as [el dedazo] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |links= ( help ) ( transl. appointed by
8607-658: The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and the laws that emanate from it, and to perform loyally and patriotically the office of President of the Republic which the people have conferred upon me, in all actions looking after the good and prosperity of the Union; and if I were not to do so, may the Nation demand it of me. Note that Article 83 of the mexican constitution states that
8758-554: The Reform War as it would come to be known, was marked by repeated Conservative victories, albeit indecisive ones. On 10 March 1858, the Liberals lost the Battle of Salamanca , near Juárez’ base in Guanajuato City , upon which he and his government retreated to Guadalajara . While the Liberal government was ensconced there, the garrison mutinied against them, and Juárez along with his ministers which included Melchor Ocampo and Guillermo Prieto were imprisoned. The commander of
8909-676: The Reform War broke out, he maintained his command in Ixtlan, until the Conservative General Marcelino Cobos defeated the Liberal forces in Oaxaca in January 1858 Díaz was shot in the leg and would not recover for four months. Díaz rejoined the war and was present when Cobos was defeated in Xalapa in February 1858. Diaz was subsequently named Governor and Military Commandant of the district of Tehuantepec . He
9060-496: The Reform War had ended, President Juárez was faced with a French invasion , the Second French Intervention aimed at overthrowing the government of the Mexican Republic and replacing it with a French-aligned monarchy, the Second Mexican Empire . The French soon gained the collaboration of the Conservative Party who aimed at returning themselves to power after their defeat in the Reform War, but Juárez continued to lead
9211-512: The Reform War. When the government of Juárez refused to honor the debts contracted by the Conservative government, Jecker took his complaints to the government of France. President of Mexico The president of Mexico (Spanish: Presidente de México ), officially the president of the United Mexican States (Spanish: Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos ), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico . Under
SECTION 60
#17327718804159362-430: The Second French Intervention in Mexico, and the failed efforts of the Second French Empire to overthrow the government of the Mexican Republic and impose a monarchy upon the nation. The main French pretext for subsequently invading Mexico had been specifically the issue of the Jecker Bonds, a series of high interest loans which had been contracted through a Swiss banker named Jecker, by the Conservative government during
9513-431: The United Nations and in the private sector, but outside of Mexico. It is speculated he lives in a self-imposed exile to avoid the hatred of some of his fellow members of the PRI for having acknowledged the PRI's defeat in the 2000 presidential election. Carlos Salinas de Gortari also lived in a self-imposed exile in Ireland, but returned to Mexico. He campaigned intensely to have his brother, Raúl Salinas , freed after he
9664-642: The United States and taught at the universities where they formerly studied: Zedillo at Yale University and Calderón at Harvard Kennedy School . Two former presidents, Vicente Fox and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, live in Mexico. As of September 2024, Carlos Salinas de Gortari lived in the United Kingdom and both Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto lived in Spain. Porfirio D%C3%ADaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori GCB ( English: / ˈ d iː ə s / DEE -əss or / ˈ d iː æ z / DEE -az , Spanish: [poɾˈfiɾjo ˈði.as] ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915),
9815-444: The United States had recognized the Liberal government as the legitimate government of Mexico and sent Robert Milligan McLane as its official representative. On 7 July 1859, Juárez laid out an agenda of legislation decreeing the de jure separation of church and state, the greater independence of the judiciary, the expansion of affordable education, a program of road construction, a program of railroad construction, financial reform,
9966-660: The aftermath of the Porfiriato and the Mexican Revolution , which erupted after Porfirio Díaz 's fraudulent victory on his seventh re-election in a row. It is so entrenched in Mexican politics that it has remained in place even as it was relaxed for other offices. In 2014, the constitution was amended to allow city mayors , congresspeople and senators to run for a second consecutive term. Previously, Deputies and Senators were barred from successive re-election. The president remains barred from even non-consecutive reelection. The Constitution does not establish formal academic qualifications to serve as president. Most presidents during
10117-525: The budget with observations). Upon taking office, the President raises their right arm to shoulder-level and takes the following oath: Protesto guardar y hacer guardar la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y las leyes que de ella emanen, y desempeñar leal y patrióticamente el cargo de Presidente de la República que el pueblo me ha conferido, mirando en todo por el bien y prosperidad de la Unión; y si así no lo hiciere que la Nación me lo demande . Translation: I affirm to follow and uphold
10268-412: The candidate who obtained a plurality . That candidate then becomes President-elect. The final decision is made in September, two months after the election. The 1917 Constitution borrowed heavily from the Constitution of the United States , providing for a clear separation of powers while giving the president wider powers than their American counterpart. For the first 71 years after the enactment of
10419-457: The capital he did not attack, and a seventy-day standoff ensued. Meanwhile, the Siege of Querétaro against Emperor Maximilian's headquarters was ongoing and ultimately ended by May 14 in a Liberal victory. Even after Maximilian had been captured, Leonardo Márquez was stalling for time at Mexico City, but hope for the imperialists was running out. Márquez' officer General O’Horan went to meet Díaz without authorization and offered to surrender
10570-409: The care of his uncle, eventually moving to Oaxaca City at the age of 12, where he found work as a domestic servant. Sponsored by his employer, who was also a lay Franciscan , Juárez temporarily enrolled in a seminary and studied to become a priest, but he later switched his studies to law at the Institute of Sciences and Arts , where he became active in liberal politics . He began to practice law and
10721-482: The city Díaz ordered his military bakers to begin supplying the city's starving population with food. He placed the city under martial law to prevent looting but also began a house-by-house search for any remaining imperialist officers. Márquez would never be found and he successfully escaped the country to find refuge in Cuba. Díaz declared himself a candidate for presidential elections scheduled for August 1867 Meanwhile, President Juarez proposed certain amendments to
10872-551: The city and by April 25, Forey was contemplating suspending military operations until larger siege guns could arrive. Despite the ongoing stalemate, the French were reassured by the knowledge that the Mexicans were running out of food and supplies. Díaz, among other officers, managed to escape before even arriving in Veracruz. Díaz then headed for Mexico City to report to President Benito Juárez . The president prepared to depart Mexico City and commissioned Díaz to raise troops for
11023-419: The city of Oaxaca added "de Juárez" to its name in his honor, and numerous other places and institutions have been named after him. He is the only individual whose birthday (21 March) is celebrated as a national public and patriotic holiday in Mexico. Many cities (most notably Ciudad Juárez ), streets, institutions, and other locations are named after him. He is considered the most popular Mexican president of
11174-456: The city to an attack much like the one he had once defended it from, taking the city by 2 April. Díaz spared the troops, but ordered the execution of the officers, taunting them by saying that “even though they had not lived like men, they could die like men”. All that remained of the Empire were Querétaro City , where Maximilian and his leading generals were present, Mexico City, and Veracruz,
11325-418: The city, warning Díaz that Márquez was about the escape, but Díaz rejected the offer. On 20 June, the day after Maximilian had been executed, Díaz ordered a barrage of artillery against the positions of the enemy, and his observers suddenly began to notice white flags of surrender. The remaining imperialist officers were arrested and it was discovered that Márquez had disappeared the day before. Upon occupying
11476-602: The colonial legal system, as were accorded to the Mexican Catholic Church, the army, and Indigenous communities. He became a prosecutor for the State of Oaxaca and was soon elected to the Oaxaca state legislature in 1832, serving for two years during the Liberal presidency of Valentin Gomez Farias . A Conservative Party coup led by Santa Anna overthrew the presidency of Gomez Farias in 1834. As part of
11627-419: The command of Díaz managed in the Battle of San Juan Bautista to back the capital of Tabasco , in February 1864. Díaz's hold was consolidated enough that he began making excursions into Veracruz, and Minatitlán was taken by 28 March 1864. Meanwhile, French control over central Mexico was rapidly expanding, and by March 1864 President Juárez had fled to Monterrey . Even as the northern military situation
11778-412: The constitution, and opponents of them began to coalesce around Diaz's campaign. Juárez subsequently won the presidential election and began a new term scheduled to end on 30 November 1871. Juárez controversially once more declared his candidacy for the 1871 elections which he won again against Díaz. Supporters of Díaz accused the government of engaging in election fraud, refused to recognize Juárez as
11929-474: The constitutional reorganization involved in the subsequent transition from the First Mexican Republic to the Centralist Republic of Mexico , Oaxaca became a department controlled by Mexico City and the state legislature of Oaxaca was dissolved. Juárez protested the dissolution of local government that was being imposed upon Oaxaca, and in fact, the rest of Mexico, as part of the transition to
12080-411: The cornfields and as a shepherd until the age of 12. Up until then Juárez had also been illiterate and could not speak Spanish knowing then only his native Zapotec language. However, his sister had previously moved to the city of Oaxaca for work, and that year Juárez moved to the city to attend school. There he took a job as a domestic servant in the household of Antonio Maza, where his sister worked as
12231-443: The country had begun to fragment into civil war. This was much more than he had intended, and he began to back away from the Conservatives. Juárez was released from prison on 11 January 1858, shortly before Comonfort himself left the country, the presidency thus passing over to Juárez who as Chief Justice was next in line to succeed the presidency. Meanwhile, the Conservatives elected Zuloaga as their president. As Mexico City fell into
12382-699: The defense of the city. It was such an important republican stronghold, that Bazaine himself assumed command of the operation in person. By February 1865, the French had surrounded the city with siege materials and 7000 troops. An assault was scheduled for 9 February. Due to mass desertions which left him outnumbered ten to one, Díaz chose not to fight, instead surrendering unconditionally. Díaz and his officers were taken prisoner and sent to Puebla . After being kept seven months in Puebla, Díaz managed to escape from French confinement yet again and returned to Oaxaca. When news of this reached Paris, former commander of
12533-475: The democratic transition, presidents have a wider academic background. Although Presidents Calderón (2006–2012) and Peña Nieto (2012–2018) were both lawyers, President Fox (2000–2006) studied business administration, Andrés Manuel López Obrador , (2018-2024) studied political sciences and current President Claudia Sheinbaum studied physics. The presidential term was set at four years from 1821 to 1904, when President Porfirio Díaz extended it to six years for
12684-417: The diplomatic credentials of accredited foreign ambassadors and ministers. They are also expected to wear it "in those official ceremonies of greatest solemnity". The sash is worn from right shoulder to left hip, and should be worn underneath the coat. The only exception is during the swearing-in ceremony, when it is worn over the coat so that the out-going president may easily take the sash off and drape it over
12835-425: The early 1980s when a grave economic crisis created discomfort both in the population and inside the party, and the president's power was no longer absolute but still impressive. An important characteristic of this system is that the new president was effectively chosen by the old one (since the PRI candidate was assured of election) but once they assumed power, the old one lost all power and influence ("no reelection"
12986-455: The effort. His command over the forces of Oaxaca was passed down to Cristóbal Salinas. Díaz's old mentor Marcos Perez fell into a quarrel with Salinas over his strategy, and Díaz failed to mediate. Juarez replaced Salinas with Vicente Rosas Landa, but the Liberals in Oaxaca were defeated at the hands of Cobos in November 1859. Díaz and Salinas found refuge in the mountains of Ixtlan. While
13137-447: The elderly Liberal caudillo, and former president of Mexico, Juan Álvarez . By the end of the year, the French were making scouting expeditions and building roads to make further attempts south. Finally, in early 1865, a French expedition against Díaz's base of operations in Oaxaca City set out under General Courtois d’Hurbal by way of Yanhuitlan . Díaz evacuated Oaxaca City and began to build barricades while commanding 6000 troops for
13288-546: The elections of 1861 with a large majority over his only rival General Jesús González Ortega . Juárez passed an amnesty towards the Conservatives who had fought against him during the Reform War with certain exceptions including leading generals and clergy. The former Conservative president Miramon had fled the country, but certain Conservative Generals remained at large in the countryside including Leonardo Marquez and Tomás Mejía Camacho . Melchor Ocampo, one of
13439-432: The enchanted pond. His parents, Brígida García and Marcelino Juárez were Zapotec peasants. He described his parents as " indios de la raza primitiva del país " ( Spanish : " Indians from the primitive race of the country" ). He had two older sisters, Josefa and Rosa. Juárez became an orphan at the age of 3. His grandparents also died shortly after, and Juárez was raised by his uncle Bernardino Juárez. Juárez worked in
13590-478: The extremists on both sides in check and pursue a middle course, always his object. It soon became obvious that such an assumption was merely wishful thinking." Comonfort accepted and had Juárez imprisoned in the capital. Comonfort however had blundered in overestimating the support he could expect among the state governors. The strategic port state of Veracruz disowned the Plan of Tacubaya, and Comonfort realized that
13741-620: The finger ). Until 1988, the PRI's candidate was virtually assured of election, winning by margins well over 70 percent of the vote. In 1988, the PRI ruptured and the dissidents formed the National Democratic Front with rival center-left parties (now the PRD ). Discontent with the PRI, and the popularity of the Front's candidate Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas led to worries that PRI candidate Carlos Salinas de Gortari would not come close to
13892-453: The first time in Mexico's history, and then again from 1917 to 1928 after a new constitution reversed the change made by Díaz in 1904. Finally, the presidential term was set at six years in 1928 and has remained unchanged since then. The president is elected by direct, popular, universal suffrage. Whoever wins a simple plurality of the national vote is elected; there is no runoff election . The former president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador ,
14043-446: The fortune of the Liberals appeared to be at a low ebb at Oaxaca, the Conservatives as a whole at this point, were losing the war throughout the entire country, rapidly being drained of funds and resources. This helped Díaz and Salinas take back Oaxaca City by August 1860. Díaz was promoted to colonel and transferred from the National Guard to the regular army. He was present at the decisive Battle of Calpulalpan , which decisively ended
14194-412: The friendship of Don Marcos Pérez and Indigenous judge and professor of law at the Institute of Arts and Sciences through which Díaz also came to know his future colleague and president of Mexico, Benito Juárez who was at that time Governor of Oaxaca. Díaz passed his first examination in civil and canon law in 1853, at the age of 23. In that same year however, a Conservative Party coup overthrew
14345-461: The garrison, Colonel Landa, was far from having effective control over the entire city. Landa offered Juárez his liberty if he would order the remaining Liberal troops in Guadalajara to surrender. Juárez refused and Landa responded by ordering his troops to shoot the prisoners. Guillermo Prieto intervened, and the soldiers hesitated. Landa did not repeat his orders, and it was at this point that
14496-459: The government and armed forces of the Mexican Republic, even as he was forced by the advances of the French to flee to the north of the country. The Second Mexican Empire would finally collapse in 1867 after the departure of the last French troops two months previously and President Juárez returned to Mexico City where he continued as president until his death due to a heart attack in 1872, but with growing opposition from fellow Liberals who believed he
14647-546: The guerrillas on 15 June, and his command was handed over to González Ortega. Conservative General Leonardo Márquez took refuge in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro . In the wake of the Reform War and the demobilization of combatants, Juárez established the Rural Guard or Rurales , aimed at enforcing public security, particularly as banditry and rural unrest grew. Many brigands and bandits had allied themselves with
14798-453: The hands of the Conservatives, President Juárez transferred himself to Guanajuato City , where on 19 January, he assembled his cabinet and vowed to defend the Constitution through war if necessary. The states of Tamaulipas , Sinaloa , Durango , Jalisco , Tabasco , San Luis Potosi , Oaxaca , Guanajuato , and Veracruz proclaimed their loyalty to the Juárez government. The first year of
14949-437: The idea of a Mexican monarchy to Napoleon III had also been working independently of any Mexican authority or political party. When the French invaders arrived in Mexico they found the Conservatives reluctant to help the French in establishing a monarchy and proclaiming their loyalty to the type of centralist republic they had once established in Mexico. However, the Conservatives were increasingly won over to collaborate with
15100-677: The incoming president (Article 36). In addition to the Presidential Sash, each president receives a Presidential Flag; the flag has imprinted the words Estados Unidos Mexicanos in golden letters and the national coat of arms also in gold. The official residence and workplace of the President is the National Palace , a building facing the Plaza de la Constitución ( Constitution Square ) in Mexico City . The site has been
15251-607: The jurisdiction of the state. This was done through the Ley Juárez , named for the Minister of Justice, and promulgated under the presidency of Alvarez. The law would remain on the books, but President Alvarez resigned in December 1855, amid increasing opposition to his administration, passing over the presidency to the more moderate Liberal Ignacio Comonfort , whom it was hoped could more effectively pass progressive reforms. Juárez did not continue as Minister of Justice, and spent
15402-625: The latter two which had, through Díaz’ capture of Puebla, been cut off from communications with each other. Leonardo Márquez had been sent from Queretaro to relieve the siege of Puebla, but he was too late. Díaz pursued Márquez and a skirmish ensued on 8 April, but Márquez got away and made it back to Mexico City Díaz now focused on taking back Mexico City and succeeded in seizing Chapultepec Castle , Maximilian's former residence, from its remaining imperial defenders, subsequently making it his headquarters. Díaz now had Mexico City surrounded with 28,000 troops yet being concerned with preventing damage to
15553-591: The law , the sovereignty of civilian power over the Catholic Church and the military , the strengthening of the Mexican federal government , and the depersonalization of political life. For Juárez's success in ousting French invasion, Mexicans considered Juárez's tenure as a time of a "second struggle for independence, a second defeat for the European powers, and a second reversal of the Conquest". After his death,
15704-404: The leading Liberals during the Reform War was assassinated by Marquez on 17 June 1861. Ocampo's assassination led to severe outrage in the capital. Many Conservatives were arrested and faced deadly retaliation, but Juárez intervened on their behalf. Santos Degollado , who had been dismissed from his military command, requested permission from congress to pursue Ocampo's killers. He too was killed by
15855-514: The legitimacy of the claims. The Conservatives meanwhile were suffering infighting, and after a series of victories, General Miguel Miramon became the new Conservative president in December 1858. President Miramon gathered an army and prepared a siege of Veracruz. On 29 December 1858, President Juárez called upon the inhabitants of Veracruz to prepare for an attack by collecting arms, provisions, and organizing fortifications. The first Conservative siege of Veracruz failed in March, 1859. Meanwhile,
16006-479: The legitimate president, and prepared to take up arms. The subsequent insurrection would come to be known as the Plan de la Noria from the eponymous Oaxacan town in which the revolution was proclaimed on 8 November 1871. Supporting revolts flared up across the country, but Juárez sustained himself against them until dying in office on 18 July 1872, the presidency passing on to the legal successor Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada . President Lerdo offered an amnesty to
16157-565: The military district of Queretaro . After capturing Mexico City in June 1863, Dubois de Saligny, Napoleon's representative, appointed the members of a Mexican puppet government tasked with ratifying French intentions of establishing a monarchy. On 8 July 1863, this so-called Assembly of Notables resolved to change the nation into a monarchy, inviting Napoleon's candidate, Maximilian of Habsburg , to become Emperor of Mexico. In August, Forey and Saligny were recalled to France, and command over
16308-531: The municipal council of Oaxaca City. In 1832, he graduated from the Institute of Arts and Sciences with a degree in law. He was eventually admitted to the bar on 13 January 1834. From the very beginning of his legal career, Juárez became an active partisan of the Liberal Party . As a lawyer, Juárez took cases of indigenous villagers. Community members of Loxicha, Oaxaca hired him for their denunciation of
16459-548: The nation. Upon finishing his one term permitted by the state constitution, Juárez became the director of the Oaxaca Institute of Science and Arts where he had previously studied law and also taught science. Juárez also continued his practice of law. Mexico experienced relative peace and stability in the years immediately following the conclusion of the Mexican-American War , through the moderate presidencies of José Joaquín de Herrera and Mariano Arista but in 1852
16610-650: The pivotal year of 1856, peacefully retired in Oaxaca, although continuing to correspond with his Liberal allies in Mexico City as they continued their aims in furthering La Reforma . Juárez personally lobbied for a measure expelling the Jesuits from Mexico which was passed in June, 1856.Meanwhile, the Mexican Congress was drafting a new Constitution which integrated into itself the Ley Juárez along with
16761-529: The postcolonial Americas. A member of the Liberal Party , he previously held a number of offices, including the governorship of Oaxaca and the presidency of the Supreme Court . During his presidency, he led the Liberals to victory in the Reform War and in the Second French intervention in Mexico . Born in Oaxaca to a poor rural Indigenous family and orphaned as a child, Juárez passed into
16912-401: The power of the federal government; and his decision to run for reelection in 1871. His opponent, liberal general, and fellow Oaxacan Porfirio Díaz opposed his re-election and rebelled against Juárez in the Plan de la Noria . Juárez came to be seen as "a preeminent symbol of Mexican nationalism and resistance to foreign intervention". His policies advocated civil liberties , equality before
17063-478: The powers of office are derived from the Revolutionary Constitution of 1917 . Another legacy of the Mexican Revolution is the Constitution's ban on re-election. Mexican presidents are limited to a single six-year term, called a sexenio . No one who has held the post, even on a caretaker basis, is allowed to run or serve again. The constitution and the office of the president closely follow
17214-532: The president begins his term at 00:00 ( UTC-06:00 ) on October 1st, so the president assumes the powers of the office at that time, regardless of when the oath is taken. The Mexican Presidential sash has the colors of the Mexican flag in three bands of equal width, with green on top, white in the center, and red on the bottom, worn from right shoulder to left waist; it also includes the National Seal, in gold thread, to be worn chest-high. In November 2018,
17365-454: The president's powers were cloaked by democratic practice. With the democratic reforms of recent years and fairer elections, the president's powers have been limited in fact as well as in name. Vargas Llosa, during the Fox administration, called this new system "The Imperfect Democracy". The current rights and powers of the president of Mexico are established, limited and enumerated by Article 89 of
17516-543: The presidential residence back to the National Palace upon the start of his term in 2018. Articles 84 and 85 of the Mexican Constitution state that "in case of absolute absence of a President" the following should happen: Article 85 additionally states that if the president requests a temporary absence – once authorized by the Congress – executive powers devolve provisionally upon the Secretary of
17667-428: The previous five years. When Cárdenas showed he would rule in name and fact, Calles publicly criticized him, prompting Cárdenas to have Calles escorted out of the country by military police. Cárdenas himself remained silent on the policies of his successor Manuel Ávila Camacho , establishing a tradition that former presidents do not interfere with their successors. For example, Ernesto Zedillo holds important offices in
17818-552: The principle of no re-election. Díaz succeeded in seizing power, ousting Lerdo in a coup in 1876 , with the help of his political supporters, and was elected in 1877 . In 1880, he stepped down and his political ally Manuel González was elected president, serving from 1880 to 1884. In 1884, Díaz abandoned the idea of no re-election and held office continuously until 1911. A controversial figure in Mexican history, Díaz's regime ended political instability and achieved growth after decades of economic stagnation. He and his allies comprised
17969-581: The rebels in July 1872, an offer which many commanders subsequently took. Díaz himself refused it, and on 1 August, sent a letter to the president urging a modification of the amnesty terms and urging an extension for upcoming presidential elections in October ostensibly to allow rebellious regions to fully participate. The president was unyielding but so was Díaz, who urged Lerdo, in a later communication to also initiate constitutional reforms to prohibit presidential reelection. As more rebel commanders yielded and
18120-435: The reduction of duties, the encouragement of foreign commerce, the subdivision of great estates to encourage peasant proprietorship, and the encouragement of immigration. On 12 July, a series of anti-clerical laws were passed adding upon those that had already been implemented as part of the Constitution of 1857. The properties of the Catholic Church were almost entirely nationalized, the responsibility of carrying out marriages
18271-641: The region, until Oaxaca City fell before a French siege in 1865. Díaz once more escaped captivity seven months later and rejoined the army of the Mexican Republic as the Second Mexican Empire disintegrated in the wake of the French departure. As Emperor Maximilian made a last stand in Querétaro , Díaz was in command of the forces that took back Mexico City in June 1867. During the era of the Restored Republic , he subsequently revolted against presidents Benito Juárez and Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada on
18422-435: The rich silver-bearing town of Taxco on 29 October. Díaz then proceeded south toward Oaxaca recruiting more men on the way until his forces had swelled to 8000 troops. The state of Oaxaca would be his main base of operations for the rest of the war. Porfirio Díaz was now not only the military but also the political commander over all unoccupied territories south of Veracruz. As the French made encroachments, forces under
18573-458: The ruling President usually found their efforts blocked: the PRI's Zedillo by opposing PAN/PRD congressmen, and later the PAN's Fox by the PRI and PRD. The PAN would push the reforms it denied to the PRI and vice versa. This situation, novel in a country where Congress was +90% dominated by the president's party for most of the century, has led to a legal analysis of the president's power. Formerly almost
18724-408: The same year. He continued his theological studies for six years, but eventually decided that he was not interested in the priesthood. An Institute of Arts and Sciences had been founded by the Oaxacan state legislature in 1826, and Juárez transferred there in 1827. In 1829, Juárez was appointed a teacher of physics. In 1831, Juárez accepted the post of Regidor del Ayuntamiento , or judicial secretary to
18875-409: The state religion, and aimed to establish religious freedom, freedom of association, civil rights, the abolition of monopolies, and the abolition of hereditary privileges. As opposition to the Constitution of 1857 threatened civil war, Comonfort's ministers resigned on 20 October 1857, and among the replacements was Juárez who was appointed as Secretary of Home Affairs ( Secretario de Gobernacion ), and
19026-413: The strongest point of the district which was a large building known as the meson de San Marcos . As Díaz planned his defenses, the French advanced with artillery and cannonballs began to crash through the building. As French zouaves poured through the breaches, they were repulsed every time, and by the evening Díaz had regained complete control over his headquarters. Similar scenes occurred throughout
19177-486: The title "president" until death but are rarely referred by it; they are commonly called ex-presidents. They were also given protection by the former Estado Mayor Presidencial . Prior to 2018, former presidents also received a lifetime pension, though they could refuse it, as Ernesto Zedillo did. The system was abolished in 2018. Unlike in some other republics, former presidents of Mexico do not continue to be important national figures once out of office, and usually lead
19328-438: The vicinity of Orizaba . Díaz and Zaragoza were forced to retreat before ending up in the city of Puebla by 3 May. On the morning of 5 May, Díaz was in command of the Oaxaca battalion , guarding one of the roads leading into Puebla. Commander of the French forces, Charles de Lorencez ordered his troops to ascend a hill overlooking the town for a direct attack upon the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. The ascent failed, and
19479-505: The war in favor of the Liberals. The victorious President Juarez reentered the capital in January 1861. Díaz also joined the national congress as a deputy from Ocotlan . The Conservative government had ceased to operate and its president, Miguel Miramon had fled the nation, but Conservative guerillas were still active in the countryside. In June 1861, the Conservative General Leonardo Márquez made
19630-452: The way down to the local level. They thus had an important (but not exclusive) influence over the political life of the country (part of their power had to be shared with unions and other groups, but as an individual, they had no peers). This and their constitutional powers made some political commentators describe the president as a six-year dictator, and to call this system an "imperial presidency". The situation remained largely unchanged until
19781-462: Was a Mexican general , politician, and dictator who served on three separate occasions as President of Mexico , a total of over 30 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 December 1876, 17 February 1877 to 1 December 1880, and 1 December 1884 to 25 May 1911. The entire period from 1876 to 1911 is often referred to as the Porfiriato , and has been characterized as a de facto dictatorship . Díaz
19932-501: Was a revolt against the state of Oaxaca during this time, causing Juárez to abandon his congressional post and return to Oaxaca to try and maintain order. In November, 1847, he assumed the governorship. When Santa Anna fell from power disgraced by his loss in the Mexican-American War, Governor Juárez did not allow the ex-president to establish himself in Oaxaca, which gained for him the future enmity of Santa Anna. Juárez
20083-403: Was accepted on election night by the PRI in the voice of President Zedillo; while this calmed fears of violence, it also fueled questions about the role of the president in the electoral process and to whom the responsibility of conceding defeat should fall in a democratic election. After a presidential election, political parties may issue challenges to the election. These challenges are heard by
20234-445: Was already announcing that the Constitution ought to be reformed. Chief Justice Juárez rebuffed Comonfort's invitation to join him in abandoning the constitution. On 17 December, Conservatives led by Felix Zuloaga proclaimed the Plan of Tacubaya , which dissolved congress and invited Comonfort to accept the presidency with extraordinary powers in a self-coup . Comonfort "felt that by temporarily assuming dictatorial powers he could hold
20385-470: Was an illiterate dependiente , or workman employed by a firm of merchants. In 1808, he had married Patrona Mori, whose mother was Mixtec , and whose father could trace his ancestry from Asturias . Eventually, Jose de la Cruz had saved enough to start planting agave , and he opened a wayside inn in Oaxaca City to sell the products of his business. Jose de la Cruz died in 1833 of cholera when Díaz
20536-485: Was becoming autocratic. During his presidency, he supported a number of controversial measures, including his negotiation of the McLane–Ocampo Treaty , which would have granted the United States perpetual extraterritorial rights across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec ; a decree extending his presidential term for the duration of French Intervention; his proposal to revise the liberal Constitution of 1857 to strengthen
20687-413: Was born to a Oaxacan family of modest means. He initially studied to become a priest but eventually switched his studies to law, and among his mentors was the future President of Mexico, Benito Juárez . Díaz increasingly became active in Liberal Party politics fighting with the Liberals to overthrow Santa Anna in the Plan of Ayutla , and also fighting on their side against the Conservative Party in
20838-523: Was completely removed from the Catholic Church and was declared to be a purely civil contract, and the registration of births and deaths was also removed from the Church and handed over to the state. Furthermore, monasteries were dissolved although nunneries were allowed to remain with the condition that they accept no more novices. The U.S. at this time was seeking a route for transit from the Caribbean to
20989-411: Was dire, Díaz still maintained a solid hold over Guerrero , Oaxaca , Tabasco , and Chiapas . Meanwhile, Emperor Maximilian and his wife Charlotte, now Empress of Mexico finally arrived in Mexico City on 12 June 1864. By December 1864, forces under Díaz had taken back the port of Acapulco . The French still struggled to make any inroads south against the forces commanded by Díaz and his lieutenant,
21140-416: Was elected in 2018 with a modern-era record of 53% of the popular vote in 2018. The previous president, Enrique Peña Nieto won 38% of the popular vote in 2012. Former President Felipe Calderón won with 36.38% of the votes in the 2006 general election , finishing only 0.56% above his nearest rival, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (who contested the official results ). In 2000, former President Vicente Fox
21291-410: Was elected president in the special elections that followed in 1930, but he resigned in 1932. Abelardo L. Rodríguez was then appointed Interim President to fill out the remainder of Ortiz Rubio's term (under current law Rodríguez would be Substitute President, but at the time there was no distinction between Interim, Substitute, and Provisional presidents). Former presidents of Mexico continue to carry
21442-540: Was elected with a plurality of 43% of the popular vote, Ernesto Zedillo won 48.7% of the vote in 1994, and his predecessor Carlos Salinas won with a majority of 50.4% in the 1988 election. After the fall of dictator Porfirio Díaz in 1910 following the Mexican Revolution , the government was unstable until 1929, when all the revolutionary leaders united in one political party: the National Revolutionary Party, which later changed its name to
21593-423: Was eventually appointed as a judge, after which he married Margarita Maza , a woman from a socially distinguished family in Oaxaca City. Juárez was eventually elected Governor of Oaxaca and became involved in national politics after the ousting of Antonio López de Santa Anna in the Plan of Ayutla . Juárez was made Minister of Justice under the new Liberal president Juan Álvarez . He was instrumental in passing
21744-456: Was faced with chaos in the state finances, the state justice department, and the state police organization. Juárez proceeded to carry out a program of economic improvements which included an elimination of the state deficit, the construction of roads and bridges, and the development of education. Governor Juárez also prepared and published a Civil and Penal Code. Oaxaca became a model state, and Juárez’ gained fame as an able administrator throughout
21895-632: Was given command over 150 men and tasked with raising funds and receiving arms imported from the United States. Díaz chose the coast town of Juchitán de Zaragoza as his headquarters and exercised his command for two years. For winning repeated victories against the Conservatives he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. At the beginning of 1860, Díaz went to the aid of the Liberal general José María Díaz Ordaz in defending Oaxaca City against Cobos. The latter fell upon Díaz at Mitla on 20 January and defeated him, but Cobos retreated as Ordaz arrived with reinforcements, only for Ordaz to lose his life in
22046-481: Was jailed in the early days of Zedillo's term, accused of drug trafficking and planning the assassination of José Francisco Ruiz Massieu . Carlos Salinas also wrote a book on neo-liberal Mexico, secured a position with the Dow Jones Company in the United States, and worked as a professor at several universities in that country. Ernesto Zedillo and Felipe Calderón two surviving former presidents lived in
22197-483: Was made Chairman of the Council of Ministers. When, one month later, Comonfort was formally elected as the first president under the new constitution, Juárez was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In the face of increasing opposition however and with civil conflict already erupting in the state of Puebla , the moderate President Comonfort sought to distance himself from the Constitution of 1857 and by December
22348-488: Was one of increasing Liberal victories and Miramon once again indecisively attacked Veracruz in March. In September, the Juárez government suffered a scandal when the Liberal General Santos Degollado raided a mule train of money being sent to European merchants. Juárez made efforts to recover the money and gave orders for restitution. As an inevitable Liberal victory approached, Juárez issued
22499-517: Was only three years old. Patrona Mori began to manage the inn while raising her multiple children. The young Díaz was sent to primary school at the age of 6 and at one point was apprenticed to a carpenter. In 1845, at the age of fifteen, Díaz entered the Colegio Seminario Conciliar de Oaxaca , to study for the priesthood, sponsored by his godfather, José Agustín Domínguez, canon of and eventually Bishop of Oaxaca. In 1846,
22650-490: Was rejected by the United States Senate. The American recognition of the Juárez government at Veracruz also led the United States to defend it against another one of Miramon's siege attempts. Towards the end of 1859, the Conservative government commissioned two gun boats to depart from Cuba and attack Veracruz while Miramon attacked from the land, but they were seized by the U.S. Navy as pirates. The year 1860
22801-473: Was stationed with General Ignacio de la Llave . Upon his arrival Juárez was joined by his wife and greeted with enthusiasm by the population. One of Juárez's first challenges in the new capital was meeting French and English claims over loans that had been forced upon English and French merchants by the Liberal General Garza. Juárez warded off the threat of military intervention by recognizing
#414585