Benito Juarez

About Benito Juarez

The Mexican president of indigenous Zapotec origin who resisted the French occupation. Juarez instituted liberal reforms that separated church and state and nationalized church property. His La Reforma laws transformed Mexican society. Juarez famously declared that among individuals as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace. He opposed the French imposed Emperor Maximilian, who was executed in 1867. Juarez served as president until his death in 1872. He is considered one of Mexicos greatest leaders and a symbol of indigenous achievement and liberal reform.