BELISARIO DOMÍNGUEZ PALENCIA: BIOGRAPHY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Belisario Domínguez Palencia (1863-1913) was a doctor and liberal politician of Mexican origin, senator for the state of Chiapas. In 1913, he delivered a memorable speech in Congress during the Mexican Revolution against Victoriano Huerta, for which he was ordered killed. His assassination contributed greatly to the fall of the regime.

Decades later, the Congress of the Mexican state declared Belisario Domínguez Palencia a martyr of democracy. He also arranged for a medal of honor to bear his name, with which people distinguished by their science or virtue are decorated. This includes servants of the homeland or of humanity.

Belisario Domínguez Palencia

Although Domínguez Palencia's life was very short, he witnessed many historical events. Among others, this civil hero had to live during the intervention of France and the Second Mexican Empire, the Porfiriato, the overthrow of the dictatorial government of Francisco I. Madero, the Huerta dictatorship and the beginning of the constitutionalist revolution.

Regarding the speech that earned him death, it was the second attempt by Belisario Domínguez Palencia to publicly denounce in Congress the tyrannical Huerta regime. The president of the Senate by then did not want him to pronounce it. Nor was it included in the Diario de los Debates. But he took it upon himself to distribute it on the streets.

Biography

Early years

Belisario Dominguez Palencia was born in the city of Comitán, Chiapas, very close to the border with Guatemala, on April 25, 1863. His parents were Don Cleofás Domínguez Román, a prosperous merchant in the region, and Doña Maria del Pilar Palencia Espinoza, who she was originally from Guatemala.

His family had a comfortable economic position and was clearly liberal. His uncle, Don Gregorio Domínguez, died in 1847 in the battle against the invading North American forces. Another of his uncles, Don José Pantaleon Dominguez, was a defender of Puebla in the battle of 1862, later becoming Governor of Chiapas.

As for his primary studies, he attended the private school in his town Comitán. There he learned, among others, the basic elements of the French language.

Later, he studied high school at the State Institute of Sciences and Arts in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. In this institution he defined his vocation for medicine.

Thus, in 1879 he left for Paris to study this career at the Sorbonne University School of Medicine. 10 years later, on July 17, 1889, at 26 years of age, he obtained the title of doctor, surgeon, midwife and eye doctor.

Professional and personal life

While he was in Europe, Belisario Dominguez Palencia acquired a vast culture from the utopian and positivist socialist currents, which were at their peak. In December 1889 he returned to his town, Comitan. It was received with great honors because it was not common for a villager to be educated in another country and return loaded with innovations.

Soon after, he married his cousin Delina Zebadúa Palencia. With her he had four children: Matilde in 1891, Hermila in 1893, Carmen, who died at birth, and Ricardo in 1897.

As part of his professional practice, he founded, together with his wife, the Popular Charity Board to serve humble patients in his hometown.

Over the years, Dr Belisario Domínguez Palencia was gaining prestige among the inhabitants of Comitán for his wise interventions. The first person in town to attend was his father. Don Cleofás managed to prolong his life thanks to a bladder surgery performed by his son.

In 1897, his mother died of an unknown disease. Then, in 1902, his father, sister, and wife died. Then, already a widower, Dr. Domínguez settled in Mexico City between 1902 and 1905.

Beginnings in politics

Taking advantage of his stay in Mexico City following the death of his wife, Dr. Belisario Dominguez Palencia, he began to give a voice of alert regarding the real situation in his state, Chiapas. He was convinced that the remoteness of his state from the political center of the country created a state of ignorance of the problems he faced.

To this end, he had a document published, titled Chiapas, which he sent to the Presidency of the Republic and other official agencies without obtaining any response.

Some time later, he sent a second communication with some additions. In it, he denounced acts of corruption by local authorities and called for the intervention of the criminal authorities.

In view of the fact that this second communication was not answered either, he founded his own newspaper, which he christened "El Vate." The declared objectives of this medium were, among others, the exaltation of patriotic virtues, the protection of the interests of Chiapas and the promotion of great human values.

Performance as senator

The fact of being a prominent person in his city, led him without being proposed to get involved in local political life. As political parties were not allowed, he founded the "Democratic Club". Already immersed in the political field, he won the elections for the Municipal Presidency of Comitán in 1909.

From that position he developed a management in support of his city that earned him the affection of its citizens. Later, on July 20, 1911, he was sworn in as Political Chief of Comitan, thus starting a career that led him to the Senate of the Republic, first as a substitute and then permanently when the incumbent dies.

The senator for the state of Chiapas Belisario Domínguez Palencia served for a period of seven months and one day. During that time he had to live in conflictive situations due to the country's political volatility in the face of an incipient democracy. Very often he had to make decisions that earned him the hatred of other politicians and the military.

Death

On October 7, 1913, Belisario Domínguez Palencia was taken from his room in the hotel where he was staying and taken to another place where he was assassinated by several bullets. His executioners were a group that represented the interests of Victoriano Huerta, Palencia's political enemy.

After the murder was perpetrated, the body of Belisario Domínguez Palencia was buried naked and his clothes were cremated. It took some time and many inquiries from the rest of the senators and their friends and relatives to find out what had happened.

His murder was, according to historians, the trigger for a series of violent events. Starting with the dissolution of Congress and the arrest of many deputies, the situation escalated until it ended in the fall of the Victoriano Huerta regime.

References

1. Lacarry, G. (2014). Positive Moments of Mexico. Bloomington: Xlibris.
2. De la Pena González, A. (2010). The people of Mexico have the right to Democracy. North Carolina: Lulu.com.
3. Pérez de los Reyes, MA (2016). Belisario Domínguez, October 7. One hundred years after his sacrifice for national democracy. Taken from archivos.juridicas.unam.mx.
4. Mac Gregor, J. (2013). Belisario Domínguez: the future of an ethic.
5. Belisario Domínguez Institute. (2011). Belisario Domínguez. Life and work of a great Mexican. Mexico DF: Senate of the Republic.
6. Labastida, H. (2002). Belisario Domínguez and the criminal state, 1913-1914. Mexico DF: XXI century.