Porfirio Díaz
1830–1915 · Mexican (Oaxaca / Mexico City / Paris) · Porfiriato, Late 19th Century Mexico
Known for: Dictator who modernized Mexico through 35 years of authoritarian rule—overthrown by the Mexican Revolution
Díaz ruled Mexico for 35 years (the Porfiriato), modernizing the economy through foreign investment, railways, and industrialization while suppressing democracy and enriching a tiny elite. He was overthrown by the Mexican Revolution (1910) and died in Parisian exile.
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