It is a holiday today in Mexico, and some of you may not know Benito Pablo Juárez Garcia.
Juárez was born in the village of San Pablo Guelatao, Oaxaca on March 21, 1806, located in the mountain range now known as the "Sierra Juarez".
Juárez became a lawyer in 1834 and a judge in 1841. He was governor of the state of Oaxaca from 1847 to 1852, and subsequently the 26th President of Mexico from 1858 to 1864.
His history is both long and compelling and he is seen today as a hero of progressive reform in Mexico, dedicating his life to democracy and equal rights for the indigenous people lessening the great power that the Roman Catholic Church then held over Mexican politics, and the 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, the separation of church and state in public affairs, and also led to the almost-complete disenfranchisement of bishops, priests, nuns and lay brothers.
Benito Juárez passed away from a heart-attack in 1872 while working in the National Palace in Mexico City. A great number of things have been named after him and to this day his name can be found on streets, towns, institutions, and the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City.
If you would like a little more information click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Ju%C3%A1rez
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