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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, An important day on the Mexican calendar, March 21, |
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2023, marks the 217th anniversary of the birth of national hero |
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Benito Juárez; and |
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WHEREAS, Benito Juárez rose from humble beginnings to become |
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the first indigenous president of Mexico and served five terms, |
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spanning two civil wars; born in 1806 to Zapotec Indian parents, he |
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graduated from the Franciscan seminary in Oaxaca and earned a law |
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degree from the Institute of Sciences and Arts; he supported |
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indigenous rights from the very beginning of his career in |
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government, as a member of the Oaxaca city council; and |
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WHEREAS, After winning election to the national Chamber of |
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Deputies, Mr. Juárez helped draft the transformational |
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Constitution of 1857, which abolished slavery and granted complete |
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equality under the law; it protected individual Mexicans with a |
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bill of rights, including freedom of speech, assembly, and the |
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press; one provision of that charter, known as the Ley Juárez, |
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drastically limited the power and privilege of the Catholic Church |
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and the military; and |
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WHEREAS, Conservatives rebelled against democratization, but |
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President Juárez led Liberal forces to victory in the War of the |
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Reform; he then triumphed over foreign occupation in a second war, |
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known as the French Intervention, securing the future of the |
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Republic; his leadership ushered in a period known as La Reforma, |
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the Reform, a political and social revolution that brought about |
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the expropriation of church lands, the subordination of the army to |
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civilian control, and the separation of church and state in public |
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affairs; President Juárez died in office in 1872, and 16 years |
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later, the city of El Paso del Norte was renamed Ciudad Juárez in |
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his honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Benito Juárez is justly revered as one of Mexico's |
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greatest heroes, and every March, a national holiday reminds |
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citizens of the vital role he played in the history of the Americas; |
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many companies in Mexico close to mark this occasion, and we may |
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take this opportunity to celebrate the outstanding contributions |
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made by Latino businesses in Texas; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 217th anniversary of the birth |
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of Benito Juárez and honor Latino businesses in the Lone Star State. |