Benito Juárez Monument (New Orleans, Louisiana)

 statue, monument

The Juárez Monument, installed on Basin Street and Conti Street on April 24, 1965, commemorates Mexican independence leader and president, Benito Juárez. Sculpted by Juan Fernando Olaguibel, the bronze statue was dedicated on May 17, 1972, the centennial of Juárez' death.

Benito Juárez (1806-1872), born of humble origins in Guelatao, Oaxaca, is known as "Benemérito de las Americas." Juárez was the first Mexican president of Indian descent and remains a national hero. Revered as a great political leader, Juárez proclaimed the "Reforma Laws" and established the foundation for the Mexican Republic, thereby preserving the independence of México.

The statue sits in the neighborhood where Juárez lived in exile during the 1850's, working in a cigar factory. He had been the governor of the state of Oaxaca until 1853 when forced to flee over his his objections to the corrupt military dictatorship of Antonio López de Santa Anna. In 1854, while in New Orleans, he helped draft the Plan of Ayutla as the basis for a liberal revolution in Mexico. Juárez returned to Mexico in 1855 when Santa Anna was forced to resign.