Concept in Definition ABC

Porfirio Díaz was president of Mexico for more than three decades, specifically between 1877 and 1911. He is a historical figure with two different faces, since for some he is a national hero and for others a nefarious character in the history of Mexico. In any case, your stage of government he is popularly known by a denomination, the Porfiriato.

The two visions of Porfirio Díaz

Still today debate the role of this character. In the first years of his mandate, he managed to unify the country and stop the different uprisings.

In this sense, there was a period of peace accompanied by economic growth and the emergence of a previously non-existent middle class. However, the development of the country was very uneven, since a large part of the population he lived in very precarious conditions.

Important episodes to mention

Porfirio Díaz came to power because he had distinguished himself as a military man during the military conflicts between Mexico and France. This general from Guajaqueño triumphantly entered the capital in 1876 after an uprising that caused the removal of President Miguel Lerdo de Tejada.

In 1877 Porfirio Diaz assumed the presidency of the nation. His two great achievements were the consolidation of the institutions of the state and the strengthening of economy. During his mandate the army managed to quell the various uprisings and rebellions. As of the pacification of the country, the Catholic Church recovered a part of its assets and once again played a leading role in the education system.

Large businessmen and landowners were favored by the politics scored by Porfirio Díaz. Thus, the Porfiriato supposed an economic advance in different orders: in the banking system, in the improvement of the fiscal model and in the reduction of the debt with foreign creditors. One of the symbols of economic growth was the railroad, since the railways developed in a remarkable way.

The railroad network promoted the trade of silver and other minerals, as well as an exchange of agricultural products between the different Mexican states

Despite the economic growth of society's elites and an incipient middle class, a majority of the population was in a very precarious situation. It must be taken into account that almost 90% of the population lived in small municipalities dedicated to agriculture and livestock.

Mexican cities grew and modernized, while in the countryside the peons lived under the harsh conditions imposed by the landowners. Social inequalities during the Porfiriato were notable and this reality became the main trigger for the Revolution from 1910.

Photo: Fotolia - michaklootwijk