Benito Juárez: The Zapotec Shepherd Who Defeated an Empire
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Show Notes
In this episode, we explore the improbable rise of Benito Juárez, a Zapotec orphan from Oaxaca who overcame illiteracy and poverty to become the first Indigenous president of Mexico and a titan of Liberal politics. We break down his pivotal role in La Reforma, a movement that sought to strip the Catholic Church and military of their colonial privileges and establish equality before the law, sparking the vicious Reform War.
We also cover the dramatic Second French Intervention, where Juárez led a government-in-exile from the deserts of Northern Mexico, refusing to yield to the puppet Emperor Maximilian I installed by Napoleon III. Tune in to hear about the execution of Maximilian, the controversies surrounding Juárez’s indefinite hold on power that alienated allies like Porfirio Díaz, and the legacy of the man who famously declared, "Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace".