Félix Díaz (politician)
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Félix Díaz Prieto (17 February 18689 July 1945) was a Mexican
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
and
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
born in
Oaxaca, Oaxaca Oaxaca de Juárez (), or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec: ''Ndua''), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Oaxaca, the most populous municipality in O ...
. He was a leading figure in the rebellion against
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Francisco I. Madero during the
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...
. He was the nephew of president
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
.


Biography

Félix Díaz was a young boy when his uncle, General
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
, overthrew the government of President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada in 1876, and remained in power until 1911, when he was forced to resign. He graduated as an
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
from the Colegio Militar in 1888, and rose to the rank of general. The Mexican
Federal Army The Federal Army (), also known as the Federales () in popular culture, was the army of Mexico from 1876 to 1914 during the Porfiriato, the rule of President Porfirio Díaz, and during the presidencies of Francisco I. Madero and Victoriano Huerta. ...
was being downsized by the president and did not see major combat during most of the
Porfiriato The Porfiriato or Porfirismo (, ), coined by Mexican historian Daniel Cosío Villegas, is a term given to the period when General Porfirio Díaz ruled Mexico under an Authoritarianism, authoritarian military dictatorship in the late 19th and e ...
. Well-connected socially in Mexico City and in Veracruz, Félix Díaz accumulated wealth from real estate. The president did not include his nephew in politics, due to his "limitations," instead giving him low-level positions as inspector general of the Mexico City police force and as a deputy in the congress. Congress was completely controlled by Díaz. Although Félix sought more powerful positions, Díaz was not supportive, and sent him away to Chile as a Mexican consul to prevent him from running in the Oaxaca gubernatorial elections. Félix Díaz resented the ''
Científico The (from Spanish language, Spanish: "scientists" or "those scientifically oriented") were a circle of Technocracy (bureaucratic), technocratic advisors to President of Mexico Porfirio Díaz. Steeped in the Positivism (philosophy), positivist " ...
s'', ("scientists") who had a powerful influence in Díaz's government, and Félix allied himself with General Bernardo Reyes, the Científicos' political rival. Reyes had been a possible candidate for the newly created office of vice president, but Díaz blocked him and he went into exile. Some suggested Félix as a candidate, but Díaz dismissed that. When Porfirio Díaz was forced into exile by revolutionary forces in May 1911, most of his family went with him. Félix stayed in Mexico. On October 12, 1912, he rose in revolt against Madero, but the revolt was suppressed by government troops on October 23, 1912. According to the German ambassador to Mexico friendly with officers in the Mexican army, "The Díaz revolution has collapsed because of the incompetence of its leader." Díaz was jailed and sentenced to death for treason, although Madero commuted the sentence to life imprisonment. Also incarcerated at the same time was General Reyes. Díaz escaped from Lecumberri federal prison on February 9, 1913, beginning '' La decena trágica'' ("Ten Tragic Days"), the coup against Madero led by Díaz and General Bernardo Reyes. Reyes was killed in the fighting in front of the National Palace, but Díaz retreated to the downtown military arsenal of the Ciudadela, bombarding federal targets and the civilian population. General
Victoriano Huerta José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (; 23 December 1850 – 13 January 1916) was a Mexican general, politician, engineer and dictator who was the 39th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of ...
was ostensibly loyal to the Madero government, but his defense of Mexico City and offense against Díaz's forces were lackluster. It became clear that Huerta was now opposed to Madero and a rival to Díaz. The U.S. Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson brokered a settlement between Díaz and Huerta at the embassy to end the bloodshed in Mexico City, name Huerta as provisional president, but promising to support Díaz's candidacy in what were anticipated to be a quick election. Díaz signed the Pact of the Embassy (''Pacto de la Embajada''). Huerta did not honor his part of the agreement and sent Díaz to
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
as an ambassador. On his return Díaz later sent into exile to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and then
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Governor of Coahuila List of governors of the Mexican state of Coahuila de Zaragoza, since its establishment as the province of Nueva Extremadura in Northern New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl ...
Venustiano Carranza, the head of the Constitutionalist faction, which had power in 1915 following the ouster of Huerta. Díaz returned to Mexico in May 1916 and became the leader of the National Reorganizing Army (''Ejército Reorganizador Nacional''). In 1917 he rebelled against Carranza's government from his base in Veracruz, issuing the Plan de Tierra Colorada. His new efforts were a failure and was forced to retreat to the south of Mexico, where he officially remained in arms. In 1920, with the ouster and death of Carranza, Díaz sought an opportunity to make peace with the new regime of the Sonoran revolutionary generals who had ousted Carranza. Interim President Adolfo de la Huerta allowed Díaz to leave the country and even offered him 20,000 pesos. De la Huerta had already come to a peace agreement with General
Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...
, so now with the easing of Díaz out of the country, hardliners considered De la Huerta a reactionary. Making peace with these two potential threats to the new regime can be seen as political pragmatism. Díaz went into exile once again, in New Orleans. In 1922, Díaz issued a manifesto against the Constitution on 1917, but again his agitation went nowhere.Dulles, ''Yesterday in Mexico'', p. 115. At the invitation of President
Lázaro Cárdenas Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (; 21 May 1895 – 19 October 1970) was a Mexican army officer and politician who served as president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940. Previously, he served as a general in the Constitutional Army during the Mexican Revo ...
, Díaz returned to Mexico in 1937 and settled in Veracruz, where he died on 9 July 1945.


See also

*
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...


References


Further reading


The Man Who Upset Mexico - Felix Diaz, The New York Times Magazine Section Part 5, February 16, 1913
Retrieved on December 24, 2007. * Peter Henderson ‘FÉLIX DÍAZ, the Porfirians, and the Mexican Revolution’ 1981 {{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Felix 1868 births 1945 deaths Politicians from Oaxaca City People of the Mexican Revolution Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) Mexican generals