Benito Juarez

Benito Pablo Juárez García (IPA [be'nit?o 'paß?lo 'xwa?es ga?'sia]) (March 21, 1806 – July 18, 1872) was a Zapotec Amerindian who served two terms (1861–1863 and 1867–1872) as President of Mexico. For his resistance to the French occupation and his efforts to modernize the country, Juárez is often regarded as Mexico's greatest and most beloved leader. He is the only full-blooded Native American to serve as President of Mexico Juárez was born in the village of San Pablo Guelatao, Oaxaca. His parents were peasants who died before his fourth birthday. He worked in the corn fields and as a shepherd until the age of 12. On December 17, 1818, he walked to the city of Oaxaca looking to educate himself and find a better life. At the time he was illiterate and could not speak Spanish, only Zapotec Today Benito Juárez is remembered as being a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy, equal rights for the nation's indigenous Indian population, lessening the great power that the Roman Catholic Church then held over Mexican politics, and defense of national sovereignty. The period of his leadership is known in Mexican history as La Reforma (the reform), and constituted a liberal political and social revolution with major institutional consequences: the expropriation of church lands, bringing the army under civilian control, liquidation of peasant communal land holdings, and adoption of a federalist constitution.La Reforma (the reform) led by Juárez represented the triumph of Mexico's liberal, federalist, anti-clerical, and pro-capitalist forces over the conservative, centralist, corporatist, and theocratic elements that sought to reconstitute a locally-run version of the old colonial system. It replaced a semi-feudal social system with a more market-driven one Juárez's famous quotation continues to be well-remembered in Mexico: Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz, meaning "Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace". It is inscribed on the coat of arms of Oaxaca The United States has statues of Juárez along 6th Avenue in New York City's Bryant Park; in Washington, DC, right across from the Watergate Building; at the "Plaza de las Américas" on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois; and on Basin Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Additional tributes include an elementary school in Anaheim, California named after Benito Juárez. In Guatemala, there are monuments to Juárez in Quetzaltenango and Guatemala City. In New Delhi,The Government of India has named a major road as Benito Juarez Marg in his memory. It is home to many institutes of higher education.Copyright (C) 2000,2001,2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.