Who they were
A war hero who resisted the French intervention, Díaz seized power in 1876 and held it for over three decades. He centralized authority and suppressed opposition while presenting a facade of order.
What they did
His government built railways, attracted foreign investment, and modernized the economy, but at the cost of deep inequality and land loss for peasants. Wealth concentrated among a small elite and foreign firms.
Legacy
Rising discontent erupted in the Revolution of 1910, and Díaz resigned and fled into exile in 1911. He is remembered for modernization won at the price of repression and injustice.