The Dawn of the dead Don

Juan Manuel Diez Francos, the Presidente Municipal of Orizaba has a few statues of his heroes, Agustín Pinochet and Francisco Franco, around his house, he’s not one to keep his enthusiasm for military caudillos from the community. At his own expense (one presumes… the municipal books not having been audited lately) Diez Francos recently gifted the Vercruz city with a half-ton (500 Kg), three meter bronze statute of the man his honor calls “mí heroé”, Porfirio Díaz.

Unveiled Monday before a 500 invited guests, which included a unknown number of undercover police officers, Don Porfirio is portrayed as he appeared in his later years, in full dress uniform, replete with his medals and miscellaneous bling.

Among the accomplishments of the Don memorialized on the statues’ plianth (adding another two meters to the monument) is having referred to Orizaba as the “best educated city in Mexico”. One of those well-educated Orizabans was invited guest, public accountant Norma Edith Colohua Sáenz. She graciously took to the microphone to share the thoughts of young, well-educated Mexicans like herself on the Don… shouting “¡asesino! ¡asesino! ¡asesino!” as what the press described as “robust women” (presumably those undercover cops) tried to drag her from the platform, impeded by a phalanx of “invited guests”.

Ms. Colohua, joined by her mother retired teacher, Diana Graciela Sáenz Vallejo, have vowed to return to pull down the statue.

Photo: Luz María Rivera, Cronica Veracruz (27 Agosto 2015)

Sources: Julio Hernández López, “Astillro” (Jornada, 2 Septiembre 2015)

Luz María Rivera, “Develan estatua de Porfirio Díaz en Orizaba; irrumpe joven en acto” (Jornada, 2 Septiembre 2015)