por He Porfirio Díaz’s best-known motto was «Order and progress”a phrase that possibly became the most popular quote of the Mexican caudillo.
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (1830-1915) was the president of Mexico for more than thirty years. Despite the fact that in his electoral campaign he proclaimed «no re-election», Díaz remained in power with a dictatorial regime.
The motto «Order and progress» became the factor that justified a way of governing in Latin America, called dictatorships of order and progress, with Porfirio Díaz being the pioneer of this system of government.
Origin of the motto of Porfirio Díaz
The motto «Order and progress» was created by Auguste Comte, a French philosopher who founded the positivist philosophy, which was at the same time a political system.
His ideals were spread worldwide in the mid-19th century, influencing countries like Mexico or Brazil, whose flag still sees Comte’s motto written.
Through his philosophy, Comte sought to reconcile the society of his century with the growing modernization that threatened them.
Historic context
Before Porfirio Díaz came to power, Mexico was in a political crisis that was holding back economic and social growth. As a nation torn by the chaos of decades past, Mexico had a corrupt bureaucratic system.
Previous governments incurred large debts for the country and invested little in advances in agriculture and mining, these being its main economic strengths.
The armed uprisings were constant and justified by the constitution, so the political instability seemed irreparable. Only two presidencies prior to Porfirio Díaz completed their constitutional terms, while the rest lasted less than a year and a half in power.
Porfirio Díaz was a Mexican caudillo born into a mestizo family of peasants. He entered the military and quickly rose through the ranks of the military.
He came to the presidency through an armed and military revolution, following the Mexican political pattern of previous administrations.
Díaz believed that it was necessary to modernize the country for its optimal development. This development would come from foreign companies that would invest to exploit the resources and boost the economy.
However, to attract foreign investment, Díaz had to pacify the country from the historical chaos that characterized it. It was then his governmental motto, «Order and progress», the implicit expression of his governmental planning.
To impose order, Díaz began by controlling the bandits on the US-Mexico border. Following the execution of its leaders, he gave greater power to agricultural leaders in rural areas.
Throughout his years in office, Díaz maintained control of opposition uprisings, silencing them and occasionally negotiating peace. Yoimplemented progress through foreign intervention, industrialization, and infrastructural growth.
It was during the Porfiriato that Mexico entered the industrial era, highlighting the remarkable growth of railways. LMining exports grew by 650%, and financial management during the Porfiriato increased wealth and allowed a massive advance in modernization at the end of the 19th century throughout the country.
References
Land of the sun: Mexico in space and time. Historical Geographic e-book. Dartmouth College.
Bourdeau, M. (2015). Auguste Comte. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,