Díaz, Félix (d. 1945)
He was born in Oaxaca state in the 19th century. He was a
nephew of Porfirio
Díaz, the log-term president and dictator. He was governor of Oaxaca state
and served also as chief of the Mexico City police. He was a general. On October
16, 1912, he launched a rebellion against Francisco
I. Madero from Veracruz, which he had captured with his army. He was
defeated and captured on the 23rd, however. Madero commuted his death
sentence, planning to have him serve a life sentence. Loyal troops rescued him
on escaped on February 8, 1913. Together with General Manuel Mondragón and
other supporters he attacked the National Palace but had to fall part to the
Ciudadela a few blocks away. The conspirators fired artillery rounds at the
National Palace. General
Victoriano Huerta, chosen by Madero to defend the government, bombarded the
Ciudadela with artillery shells. Civilians were caught in the crossfire during
these ten days (Decena Trágica), some being wounded, others dying. Even before
they stopped the urban warfare, Rodolfo Reyes mediated between Díaz and
Mondragón, on the one hand, and Huerta, on the other, to end the conflict by
having Díaz and Huerta agree to share power after overthrowing Madero. Playing
a very strong role in these negotiations was Henry Lane Wilson, the US
Ambassador appointed by Republican president William Howard Taft; he met wuth
them on February 8, 1913. Wilson did not like Madero, thinking him too radical;
he preferred the type of government Porfirio Díaz had run. Henry Lane
Wilson became part of the conspiracy and the Pact of the Embassy was signed in
the United States Embassy with Wilson looking on. Madero and his vice president,
Pino Suárez, were to ousted; Huerta was to assume the provisional presidency;
and elections would be held and Díaz elected.
Events turned against Díaz. Madero and Jesús María Pino
Suárez were arrested but Huerta had them murdered on February 22, 1913. Félix
Díaz was sent on a long "study mission" to Japan, thus putting him on
the other side of the world. He returned in 1917 and fought the government,
asserting that he was defending the Constitution of 1857. When Alvaro
Obregón led a revolt against Venustiano
Carranza, he joined. However, the obregonistas had no use for him. He left
the country until 1941. He died in 1945.
Don Mabry
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