Biography of Juan Alvarez - Juan Álvarez Benítez

(27/01/1790 - 1867/08/27)

Juan Álvarez
Juan Álvarez Benítez
Juan Nepomuceno Álvarez Hurtado

Military and Mexican politician, President (1855)
Born January 27, 1790, in Santa María in the Concepción Atoyac, Guerrero, in the bosom of a wealthy family, which sent him to study at the colegio Ignacio (Avilés), in City of Mexico.
Although his name was Juan Nepomuceno Álvarez Hurtado, was added after the surname of Benitez to be born in the State of Guerrero. On the South coast of this State had a village called Coyuca de Benitez and was given this name as a second surname.
In November 1810 he entered the ranks of the insurgent army of Morelos. He participated in the fights of Aguacatillo, Tres Palos, Arroyo of the grinder and Tonaltepec, fought also in La Sábana and earned the rank of Captain; for merits in the campaign. Before the year of 1810, he received a shot that crossed her legs. He was promoted to Commander of the Guadalupe Regiment.
With Hermenegildo Galeana attended the assault on Tixtla square, in the early hours of May 15, 1811, leaving again wounded and this time achieving the rank of Colonel. In 1813 he fortified the Veladero mountain, which took over until 1814, when it was beaten by Armijo in Pie de la Cuesta. Acapulco took the Spaniards in the year 1824.
Alvarez supported the Constitution of Mexico as federal Republic and fought against the monarchic authoritarianism of Agustín de Iturbideand Anastasio Bustamante of Antonio López de Santa Anna. In 1850 he was elected Governor of Guerrero and in 1854 proclaimed the Plan de Ayutla, which put an end to the dictatorship of Santa Anna.
He was elected as President in 1855, although he resigned that same year by health problems, during this period, showed his Republican, federalist and liberal ideas. He called the Congress which two years later would promulgated the Constitution of 1857; it promulgated the Law Juarez, who eliminated the special courts and amending the system of privileges. He again fought alongside President Benito Juárez (1858-1871), before the French intervention of 1861.
Spouse of Faustina Benitez, was the father of Diego and Encarnación Álvarez Benítez.
Juan Álvarez died on August 27, 1867 in City of Mexico.