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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, March 21, 2025, marks the 219th anniversary of the |
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| 8 | 9 | | birth of Benito Juárez, a revered statesman and national hero of |
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| 9 | 10 | | Mexico; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Benito Juárez rose from humble beginnings to become |
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| 11 | 12 | | the first Indigenous president of Mexico and served five terms, |
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| 12 | 13 | | spanning two civil wars; born in 1806 to Zapotec Indian parents, he |
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| 13 | 14 | | graduated from the Franciscan seminary in Oaxaca and earned a law |
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| 14 | 15 | | degree from the Institute of Sciences and Arts; he supported |
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| 15 | 16 | | Indigenous rights from the very beginning of his career in |
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| 16 | 17 | | government, as a member of the Oaxaca city council; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, After winning election to the national Chamber of |
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| 18 | 19 | | Deputies, Mr. Juárez helped draft the transformational |
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| 19 | 20 | | Constitution of 1857, which abolished slavery and granted complete |
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| 20 | 21 | | equality under the law; it protected individual Mexicans with a |
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| 21 | 22 | | bill of rights, including freedom of speech, assembly, and the |
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| 22 | 23 | | press; one provision of that charter, known as the Ley Juárez, |
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| 23 | 24 | | drastically limited the power and privilege of the Catholic Church |
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| 24 | 25 | | and the military; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Conservatives rebelled against democratization, but |
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| 26 | 27 | | President Juárez led liberal forces to victory in the War of the |
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| 27 | 28 | | Reform; he then triumphed over foreign occupation in a second war, |
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| 28 | 29 | | known as the French Intervention, securing the future of the |
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| 29 | 30 | | Republic; his leadership ushered in a period known as La Reforma, |
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| 30 | 31 | | the Reform, a political and social revolution that brought about |
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| 31 | 32 | | the expropriation of church lands, the subordination of the army to |
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| 32 | 33 | | civilian control, and the separation of church and state in public |
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| 33 | 34 | | affairs; President Juárez died in office in 1872, and 16 years |
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| 34 | 35 | | later, the city of El Paso del Norte was renamed Ciudad Juárez in |
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| 35 | 36 | | his honor; and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Benito Juárez is justly revered as one of Mexico's |
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| 37 | 38 | | greatest heroes, and every March, a national holiday reminds |
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| 38 | 39 | | citizens of the vital role he played in the history of the Americas; |
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| 39 | 40 | | his famous words, "El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz," or |
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| 40 | 41 | | "Respect for the rights of others is peace," continue to inspire |
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| 41 | 42 | | individuals across the globe to promote the principles of diplomacy |
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| 42 | 43 | | and coexistence; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and legacy of Benito |
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| 45 | 46 | | Juárez and commemorate the 219th anniversary of his birth. |
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