Le pouvoir de Porfirio Diaz

After Benito Juárez's death in 1872, liberal General Porfirio Díaz attempted to gain the presidency, but failed as Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada succeeded Juárez. As liberal allies Juárez and Díaz had opposed the French Intervention. Porfirio Díaz was one of the military heroes of the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 Cinco de Mayo, which briefly impeded the French invasion of Mexico. Following the ouster of the French in 1867, Juárez who had been president in exile but supported and recognized as the legitimate political leader of Mexico, returned to exercise power. Díaz tried to unseat him, but failed. When Juárez died in office, Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada succeeded him, but when he ran for the presidency, Díaz ousted him, coming to power as president in 1876 and ruled until May 1911[4] when Francisco I. Madero succeeded him, taking office in November.[5] Díaz's regime is remembered for the advances he brought in industry and modernization, at the expense of human rights and liberal reforms.

Díaz's rule from 1876 to 1911 has become known as the era of the Porfiriato. Díaz had a strict "No Re-election" policy whereby presidents could not serve consecutive terms in office.[citation needed] He followed this rule when he stepped down (1880) after his first term and was succeeded by Manuel González Flores.[citation needed] González was controlled by Díaz and was commonly known as Díaz's puppet.[citation needed] The new president's period in office was marred by political corruption and official incompetence.[citation needed] When Díaz ran in the next election (1884), he was a welcome replacement. In future elections Díaz put aside his "No Re-election" slogan and ran for president in exercises that were widely seen as fraudulent.

Díaz was an early liberal, but changed his views after Juárez took office. He became the dictator against whom he had warned the people. Through an armed police force directly under control of the president, the Rurales—a paramilitary force that kept order in the countryside—and gangs of thugs, Díaz frightened people into voting for him. When bullying citizens into voting for him failed, he simply rigged the votes in his favor.[6] He justified his stay in office by claiming that Mexico was not yet ready to govern itself;[citation needed] only he knew what was best for his country and he enforced his belief with a strong hand. "Order and Progress" were the watchwords of his rule.[citation needed]

Leaders of the 1910 revolt pose for a photo after the First Battle of Juárez. Present are José María Pino Suárez, Venustiano Carranza, Francisco I. Madero (and his father), Pascual Orozco, Pancho Villa, Gustavo Madero, Raul Madero, Abraham González, and Giuseppe Garibaldi Jr.

Díaz's presidency was characterized by promotion of industry and development of infrastructure by opening the country to foreign investment. The pacification of the country was the order that would reassure foreign entrepreneurs that their investments were safe. The modernization and progress in cities came at the expense of the rising working class and the peasantry. Farmers and peasants both complained of oppression and exploitation. The economy took a great leap during the Porfiriato, as he encouraged the construction of factories, roads, dams, industries and better farms. This resulted in the rise of an

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