PORFIRIATO CRISIS IN MEXICO: POLITICS AND ECONOMICS - HISTORY - 2025

The Porfiriato crisis is associated with a historical moment at the beginning of the 20th century in Mexico, during the government of the dictator Porfirio Díaz. Specifically between 1900 and 1910, where there were different political and economic, internal and external conflict situations, which were antecedents of the end of the Porfirio Díaz government.

The government of Porfirio Díaz was characterized by generating great progress for Mexico, especially in terms of industrialization, promoting the railroad industry and agriculture. Many consider Díaz's term in office, which lasted more than 30 years, as the one that originated the most progress in Mexico.

Women in a prison in Queretaró (1905)

However, during the Porfiriato a lot of social discontent was generated, because the upper classes were the only ones who enjoyed the privileges of the bonanza. The workers were cruelly exploited and the citizens in general had very few rights.

The repressive actions of a controlling State led Mexicans to consider a different system, through which they could enjoy freedom and decent work opportunities.

From 1900 on, the Porfirio Díaz regime collapsed. The crisis of the Porfiriato ended in 1910, when as a result of the fraud in the presidential elections scheduled for that year, the Mexican Revolution broke out, summoned mainly by his adversary in those elections, the businessman Francisco I. Madero.

Some of the most notable characteristics of the crisis of the Porfiriato, which preceded the exit from power of the dictator Porfirio Díaz, will be detailed below.

Repressive context prior to the Porfiriato crisis

The government of Porfirio Díaz was characterized by being of a centralized military nature, with corrupt institutions and bent on the dictator's ambitions.

At the end of the 19th century, the economic boom that was generated at the beginning of the Porfiriato had declined to some extent.

The situation of the workers was devastating, the workers suffered terrible working conditions, and the discontent of the Mexicans was beginning to be felt, despite the continuous repression and government actions to prevent the generation of political movements with leaders that could eventually lead a rebellion in Mexico.

Growing discontent

At the beginning of the 20th century, internal conflicts deepened, which led the Díaz government to fragment little by little until, in 1911, he left power.

From 1900 there was already much disgust among the population of the middle and lower classes, and the organizations that arose against Díaz began to gain more strength. This is how the “Ponciano Arriaga” club emerged, made up of intellectuals with liberal ideas who were against Díaz.

In August 1900 the newspaper Regeneración appeared, a platform from which the dictatorship was strongly criticized. And later, in 1906, the Mexican Liberal Party was founded. The main leaders of this party were the Magón brothers.

These examples give an idea of ​​how the discontent of the Mexicans was emerging, despite the existing repression.

Devaluation

In 1905, the government of Porfirio Díaz executed a monetary reform: from then on, the value of gold would be taken into account as a backing for the currency of Mexico, instead of the value of silver.

This implied that the currency was devalued, inflation increased and also the external debt. Salaries fell and US entrepreneurs took advantage to acquire Mexican businesses and companies at very low cost.

Cananea strike

In 1906 a very relevant event happened. It was the Cananea strike, carried out by the workers of the “Cananea Consolited Cooper Company” mine, which was in charge of the American William C. Grenne.

The workers organized under the call of the Mexican Liberal Party. The strike is generated by the deplorable situation of the miners, who worked up to 16 hours a day without days off, received a very low salary and were mistreated by employers.

The workers' demands were various: equality with American workers, who received higher benefits; pay rise; and that 75% of the workers were Mexican.

The participants in the Cananea strike were repressed, none of their requests were granted, and their leaders were punished.

Rio Blanco strike

At the end of 1906, the Río Blanco Strike took place, in which the workers of the textile factory that bears that name participated. The workers demanded better working conditions.

They received a reply in January 1907: they were offered some improvements, such as a reduction of the working day from 16 1/2 hours to 14 hours. However, they were required to agree not to promote strikes.

The strikers ignored it and on January 7, 1907, instead of going to their jobs, they did not enter the factories, but stayed at the gates, demanding better working conditions.

As a result of an incident in the shop of businessman Víctor Garcín, the protesters looted said establishment, flared up and even broke into the jail to free their fellow prisoners.

State security forces repressed the protesters. It is estimated that some two thousand workers participated in the Rio Blanco Strike, and that some 700 were killed.

World crisis

In 1907 there was a world economic crisis. This financial crisis was born in the United States, and as a consequence brought down the prices of raw materials at the international level, which strongly affected the less developed countries that exported these products.

In the case of Mexico, the item most affected was silver, one of the country's main export products.

Internally, this situation caused an increase in the cost of different products, and generated unjustified dismissals and factory closures, which produced a very serious feeling of disgust that, together with the previous events, was the motivation to promote a change of government.

Bad crops

During the years 1908 and 1909 there were serious problems with the crops. This generated scarcity and a deepening of the crisis for all Mexicans, although the most affected were those who belonged to the lowest class.

The scarcity and high cost of food contributed to stoking discontent and was a breeding ground, along with all the previous aspects, for the materialization of the Mexican Revolution.

References

1. "Crisis del Porfiriato" at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Retrieved on August 1, 2017 from the National Autonomous University of Mexico: portalacademico.cch.unam.mx.
2. Ríos, M. "1906: the Cananea strike" (June 2, 2016) in La Izquierda Diario. Retrieved on August 1, 2017 from La Izquierda Diario: laizquierdadiario.com.
3. Nájar, A. "Why 100 years later the remains of Porfirio Díaz cause controversy again in Mexico" (July 2, 2015) on the BBC. Retrieved on August 1, 2017 from BBC: bbc.com.
4. Cruz, P. "The importance of the Rio Blanco strike on its 110th anniversary" in Panorama Noticieros. Retrieved on August 1, 2017 from Panorama Noticieros: medium.com.
5. Romero, M. "Gold standard and exchange stability in Mexico, 1905-1910" (February 2008) in Scielo. Retrieved on August 1, 2017 from Scielo: scielo.com.mx.
6. "The crisis of porfirismo" in Krismar Education. Retrieved on August 1, 2017 from Krismar Education: krismar-educa.com.mx.