PORFIRIO DÍAZ: BIOGRAPHY, PRESIDENCY, PRESIDENTIAL TERMS - HISTORY - 2025

Porfirio Díaz was a Mexican politician and military man born in 1830 in Oaxaca. Apart from his work in the army, he is known for the years in which he served as president of the nation. They were more than 30 years in the position, during the historical stage called the Porfiriato.

Díaz began to be recognized in Mexican society for his participation in various wars, among these in the Ayutla Revolution, in the War of Reform and, especially, during the struggle against the empire of Maximiliano. Despite this, he was defeated in several consecutive elections against Benito Juárez and Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.

Finally, Díaz managed to reach the presidency by arms, although he later won an extraordinary election called for him. After that, with a brief four-year hiatus, Porfirio Díaz retained power until 1910, when the Mexican Revolution began.

His government's main characteristic was economic improvement and a first stage of pacification of the country. In addition, the arts and culture were present in a very fruitful way. On the negative side, he highlighted his authoritarianism, political and human rights repression and the unequal distribution of the wealth created during those years.

Biography

José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican politician who was born on September 15, 1830 in Oaxaca. He held the presidency of the country for more than 30 years, giving name to the period known as the Porfiriato.

Early years

His family had a good financial situation, since his father owned a blacksmith business and was quite successful. However, after being orphaned when he was three years old, the family situation deteriorated.

His first studies were carried out at the Amiga School, which he entered in 1835. This center belonged to the city parish and it was where Díaz took his first lessons.

Years later, in 1843, he went on to study at the Tridentine Seminary in his hometown. It was his godfather, the priest Domínguez y Díaz, who insisted his mother to study there. Porfirio chose a bachelor of arts. Within his training were subjects such as Physics, Latin, Grammar and Logic.

Given the worrying economic situation of the family at that time, he took advantage of his good results in Latin to start giving private classes, a fact that in the short term meant a change in his life: thanks to the father of one of his students he came into contact with Benito Juarez.

The young Díaz finished that educational stage in 1846. Just that year, before the American invasion, he enlisted along with some colleagues in the army. However, the end of the war did not allow him to enter combat.

Right's studies

Díaz attended some meetings between Marcos Pérez -the father of his student- with Juárez, being impressed by what they both talked about. Thus, he decided to leave the seminary and move to the Oaxaca Institute of Sciences and Arts.

His godfather, who was already a bishop at the time, was very upset with that decision, to the point of withdrawing his support. It should be borne in mind that his new study center was very liberal and was labeled heretical.

It was at that institution where Díaz studied law. One of his teachers was Benito Juárez himself.

Ayutla Revolution

The year 1854 was very important in the life of the future politician. On the one hand, President Santa Anna ordered the closure of the Institute; on the other, the Ayutla Revolution broke out and Porfirio participated in it supporting Juan Álvarez against the government.

The uprising was successful and Santa Anna was forced to leave office. Juan Álvarez became provisional president, Juárez returned to the country from exile and was appointed governor of Oaxaca. Díaz obtained his first public position: political head of the Ixtlán District.

Later, with Ignacio Comonfort in the presidency, Porfirio held the military command in Tehuantepec. There he had to stop a rebellion of the conservatives, which gave him considerable prestige.

Military career

The instability of Mexico during those years led to the struggle between liberals and conservatives in the so-called War of Reform. This began in 1858 and lasted 3 years.

Díaz fought on the liberal side with Benito Juárez, ultimately the winner. Díaz was promoted to general and obtained his first position as a deputy.

After ending that war, without time for the country to recover, the French intervention took place. Until 1867 Porfirio was one of the military leaders who fought against the French and against the Emperor Maximilian.

His most outstanding action was the taking of the capital on April 2, 1867, practically putting an end to the conflict. Maximiliano fell and Juárez regained the presidency.

Presidential candidacy

Once Benito Juárez called elections after the conflict, Díaz decided to run to compete against him. The result was quite clear in favor of Juárez, president again until 1871.

The defeat affected Díaz a lot. It affected him so much that he went north to the La Noria farm. Juárez offered him the embassy in the United States, but Díaz turned it down. He lived there until 1870.

New candidacy and Revolution of the Noria

When the presidential term was nearing its end, Porfirio decided to try again. Thus, he presented his candidacy against Juárez, who had broken the principle of non-reelection, and against a new opponent, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.

The voting took place on August 27, 1871. The result was once again unfavorable for Díaz. Juárez won again, with Porfirio second and Lerdo third.

The defeated candidates contested the results, but to no avail. Lerdo returned to his post in the Supreme Court of Justice. Díaz was not satisfied and began to gather followers in the north of the country.

After obtaining the support of many landowners and soldiers in the area, he took up arms with the so-called Plan de la Noria. Several defeats doomed the revolution to failure, but the death of Juárez changed the course of history.

Extraordinary elections

After the death of Juárez, Lerdo de Tejada held the provisional presidency. Given this, Díaz laid down his arms, since there were no reasons to continue fighting.

The extraordinary elections called in 1872 had Lerdo de Tejada and Porfirio Díaz as candidates. The result favored the former, who was appointed president. The leaders of the Noria received an amnesty, although they were expelled from the army.

Porfirio returned to Oaxaca after the new defeat. However, he did not forget his political ambitions. In 1874 he obtained the act as federal deputy and, from that position, he waited for his opportunity.

This came to him soon. The Lerdo government was carrying out a policy described as radical by the Church and the country's upper class. This caused the tension to grow and Díaz took positions to take advantage.

Lerdo, trying to avoid any attempt at an uprising, offered him the presidency of the Supreme Court of Justice, but he did not want to accept it.

Arrival to the presidency

At the end of 1875, a few months before the new elections, Lerdo de Tejada announced his candidacy in the new elections. Díaz did the same and began a campaign against the president. Diaz's supporters were repressed by government forces, which ultimately led to increased support for them.

Porfirio decided not to wait for the elections, and in January 1876 he launched the Plan of Tuxtepec. With the support of the Church and part of the army, the revolution to overthrow Lerdo achieved its purpose and Díaz was appointed provisional president on November 21 of that same year.

This appointment was not without controversy. Legally, before the flight of Lerdo, his substitute had to be the president of the Supreme Court of Justice. However, after some fighting and negotiations between the parties, they all recognized Díaz.

The extraordinary elections of 1877 confirmed the change and Porfirio Díaz became constitutional president on May 5 of that year.

The Porfiriato

His first term was characterized by the attempt to stabilize and pacify the country, sometimes using very violent methods. Besides, he imposed consecutive non-reelection in the Constitution, which led to an apparent change in the presidency in 1880.

Manuel González occupied the position of president and Díaz, an authentic power in the shadows, was left with the government of Oaxaca and a ministry.

Already in 1884 Díaz returned to the presidency. This time he reformed the Constitution to allow consecutive reelection. This allowed him to chain mandates until 1910.

In addition, little by little it was ending with the opposition and with the freedom of the press, so the new elections were very little democratic.

In the first decade of the 20th century, the response to the Porfiriato had grown a lot. Several bloody repressed workers' strikes and the economic crisis led Díaz to say that he was going to democratize the institutions and not run again.

However, history repeated itself in the 1910 elections. This time, a better-organized opposition proclaimed the Plan of San Luis, beginning the Mexican Revolution. Under the command of Francisco I. Madero, the rebels managed to defeat Diaz's forces.

On May 25, 1911, Porfirio Díaz resigned his position and a few days later he was forced to leave the country.

Exile and death

The former president's destination was France. In its capital it remained 4 years. His health deteriorated rapidly, both physically and mentally. On July 2, 1915, he died at the age of 84 without being able to return to Mexico.

Presidency

The long period in which Porfirio Díaz held the presidency of Mexico is called Porfiriato. It comprises from 1876 to 1911, although there was a four-year hiatus in which Manuel González was the country's top leader.

According to experts, the Díaz government tried to carry positivist thinking, with the principles of order and peace as fundamental elements. However, despite some economic and cultural achievements, it was a time with many negative elements.

Presidential terms

First term

After the parenthesis that the presidency of Manuel González supposed, Díaz regained his position at the end of 1884. At first he strove to carry out a policy of national reconciliation. For this he integrated into his cabinet some young liberals belonging to the scientist current.

Among the achievements of that period are the creation of a teachers' school and the permission given to women to study professional careers.

Third reelection

Contradicting his previous policy of supporting consecutive non-reelection, Díaz reformed the Constitution in order to run again. This stage was characterized by social peace, which opponents called "the peace of slavery."

Faced with the economic achievements and the development of infrastructures, there is the great repression exercised against any political opponent and the curtailment of freedom of expression.

The government used violent methods to stop the complaints of the indigenous communities, whose lands were given to landowners (often foreigners) and against the workers.

Fourth reelection

In 1892 Porfirio Díaz began his fourth term. The economic situation, the main achievement of the Porfiriato, began to be affected by the international crisis. The foreign debt doubled, before which the person in charge of the economy, José Limantour, did a great job.

This politician managed to multiply foreign investment and industries began to be established in the country. However, this was done at the expense of the workers, who had paltry salaries and no labor law.

Fifth reelection

It began in 1896 and was very continuous with respect to the previous one. Economically, Limantour followed the same policy: the conversion of the public debt.

Another aspect of this period was the attempt to modernize the army. He reinforced the federal army, eliminating the different state bodies.

Sixth reelection

Already in the 20th century, it was the first time that Porfirio pointed out that he could retire from politics. However, there are serious doubts among historians that the intention was sincere.

Many believe that it was a maneuver to check their support and find out who was willing to take over. In any case, Díaz returned to power in a legislature that lasted until 1904.

Seventh reelection

In the new elections, Díaz was once again the only candidate. Among the measures taken was the increase in the presidential term to 6 years, so it did not end until 1910.

The situation in Mexico at that time was very tense. The opposition began to organize itself better and Porfirio's statements in 1908, indicating that they could allow other parties to participate, gave wings to the supporters of Francisco I. Madero.

Although Díaz finally tried to continue in power in 1910, the Mexican Revolution that broke out against him prevented his purpose.

Characteristics of his government

The porfiriato, with its long duration, changed a good part of Mexican structures in all areas: from education to the economy.

Economy

The economy was, along with pacification, the main matter that the Porfiriato considered a success. However, for historians there were many negative points along with the achievements.

In this way, the governments of Porfirio Díaz managed to modernize the Mexican economic structure, attracting investors and promoting industries such as mining or agriculture.

He also highlighted the great development of transport infrastructures, such as the railroad, and the improvement in public debt and finances in general.

On the negative side, all of this was achieved at the expense of many layers of society. The most disadvantaged or indigenous not only did not benefit from these improvements, but also lived in very poor conditions, without labor rights or decent salaries.

For this reason, many affirm that practically two different countries were created in one: the rich one, made up of landowners, bourgeois and owners of industries; and the poor, in which the rest of the population was found.

Politics and society

As with the economy, in politics and in society there were also two different faces. On the one hand, the country was pacified and stabilized, leaving behind the innumerable historical rebellions; But to achieve this, Díaz resorted to repression, eliminating political opposition and freedom of expression.

Socially, this resulted in the creation of an oligarchy linked to the government and an exploited and abused working class.

For its part, the Church regained part of the privileges it had lost, including the right to obtain tithes.

Education and culture

The positivist scientist philosophy was the basis of the changes in education that took place at that time. The culture experienced a renaissance, but it was intended for the enjoyment of the higher classes.

At the end of the period there was the appearance of currents that created art opposed to the Porfiriato and that marked the beginning of the Mexican Revolution.

References

1. Biographies and Life. Porfirio Diaz. Obtained from biografiasyvidas.com
2. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Porfirio Diaz. Retrieved from britannica.com
3. Drafting of El Universal. Porfirio Díaz, a loved and hated president. Obtained from eluniversal.com.mx
4. Molina Arceo, Sandra. Porfirio Díaz, the president whose dictatorship caused the Mexican Revolution. Obtained from expansion.mx
5. Minster, Christopher. Biography of Porfirio Diaz. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
6. Cavendish, Richard. The ousting of Porfirio Diaz. Retrieved from historytoday.com
7. Zapotoczny, Walter S. President Porfirio Diaz: A Major Cause of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Recovered from wzaponline.com
8. Duque Hernández, Fernanda. Porfirio Díaz, between right and wrong. Retrieved from mexiconewsnetwork.com