The best known of Porfirio Diaz motto was "Order and Progress" emblem that possibly became the most popular quote from the Mexican caudillo.
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was the president of Mexico for more than thirty years. Despite proclaiming "no reelection" in his electoral campaign, Díaz remained in power under a dictatorial regime.
Porfirio Diaz
The motto "Order and Progress" became the link in which a form of government in Latin America called Dictatorship of order and progress was justified, with Porfirio Díaz being the pioneer of this system of government.
Origin of Porfirio Díaz's motto
The motto "Order and Progress" was created by Augusto Comte, a positivist philosopher born in France. In turn, he applied and founded "positivism" as a philosophy and a political system in turn.
His ideals were spread worldwide in the mid-nineteenth century, influencing countries such as Mexico or Brazil, whose flag still carries the motto of Comte written.
Through his philosophy, Comte sought to reconcile the society of his century with the increasing modernization that haunted them.
Historic context
Before Porfirio Díaz came to power, Mexico was in a political crisis that stunned economic and social growth. As a nation torn by the chaos of decades past, Mexico had a corrupt bureaucratic system.
Previous governments created masterful debts for the country and invested little in advances in agriculture and mining, these being its main economic strengths.
The armed uprisings were constant and justified by the constitution, so that the political instability seemed irreparable. Only two presidencies prior to Porfirio completed their constitutional terms, while the rest lasted less than a year and a half in power.
Porfirio Díaz was a Mexican leader born into a mestizo peasant family. He entered the military force and rose rapidly through the higher ranks of the military.
He came to the presidency through an armed and military revolution, in accordance with the Mexican political pattern of previous administrations.
Díaz believed that it was necessary to modernize the country for its optimal development. This development would come from foreign companies that would invest in the country to exploit resources and boost the economy.
However, to attract foreign investment, Díaz had to pacify the country from the historical chaos that characterized it. It was then his governmental motto, "Order and Progress", the implicit expression of his governmental planning.
To enforce order, Díaz began by controlling the bandits on the border of Mexico with the United States. Following the execution of their leaders, Díaz gave greater power to agricultural leaders in rural areas.
Throughout his years in office, Díaz maintained control of opposition uprisings, silencing them and occasionally negotiating peace.
Díaz implemented progress through foreign intervention, industrialization, and infrastructural growth.
It was during the Porfiriato that Mexico entered the industrial era, highlighting the remarkable growth of railways.
Also, mining exports grew by 650%. Financial management during the Porfiriato raised wealth and allowed a massive advance of modernization at the end of the 19th century throughout the country.
References
- Malmström, V. (2002). Land of the sun: Mexico in space and time. Historical Geographic e-book. Darmouth College.
- Bourdeau, M. Auguste Comte. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2015 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).
- Navarro, K. (2014). Reconciling Order and Progress: Auguste Comte, Gustave Le Bon, Emile Durkheim, and the Development of Positivism in France, 1820-1914. University of Central Florida: Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
- Mexican History. (2015). Diaz and the Porfiriato: 1876-1910.
- Barriozona Magazine (2015). Porfirio Diaz: Power, peace and progress.
- Evens, TL (2012). The Porfiriato: The stability and growth Mexico needed. Undergraduate Researchers at Guelph,. v. 5 (2) p. 13-18. ISSN 2291-1367.