Permanent monument of Benito Juárez to be unveiled in Florida

a street of Miami Beach, South Florida, United Stateswill have from next Monday a Monument of Mexican President Benito Juárez (1806-1872), which will be permanently exposed, reported this Friday the General Consulate of Mexico in Miami.

It is a bronze bust of Juárez, considered one of the great statesmen of Latin America, which is a gift of the Oaxacan artist Fernando Andriacci.

The bust will be part of the path of Latin American heroes that are in the well-known "Collins" park, located on 21st Street and Collins Avenue, in Miami Beach, where the monuments of the Venezuelan politician are also located. Simon Bolivarthe poet and Cuban independence fighter Jose Martiand Nicaraguan poet and diplomat Ruben Dario.

Benito Juárez, known as the Meritorious of the Americaswas a forerunner of the reform laws in Mexico during the 19th century and his legacy gave rise, among others, to secular education.

As president of Mexico, in intermittent terms from 1858 to 1872, Juárez faced two relevant episodes in the history of the country: the Reform War (1858-1861) and the French Intervention and the Second Mexican Empire (1862-1867).

Miami Beach commissioner (councilman) Alex Fernández, promoter of the presentation of the bust, said in a statement that the constitutional reforms that Juárez carried out at the time laid the foundations for democratic life what currently exists in Mexico.

The mayor of Miami Beach, Dan Gelber, pointed out for his part that it is about “a reminder of the deep cultural connectionshistorical and affection that unite us”.

"We accept this gift as a testimony of the friendly relationship we have with Mexico," stressed the councilor.

Jonathan Chait, Mexican consul in Miami, indicated that "It is an honor to have the presence of Mexico with the figure of Benito Juáreztireless fighter for equal rights for all people without distinction of origin, race or color.

These “values”, he added, “were intertwined in the emblematic city of Miami Beach, where diversity, plurality and freedom of expression are recognized“.

The Benito Juárez monument will be unveiled next Monday during a public ceremony, the Mexican consulate said. (EFE)