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Secondary sourceSculpture1965 (gifted), dedicated 1972

Statue of Benito Juárez in New Orleans

Juan Fernando Olaguíbel · 1965 (gifted), dedicated 1972

A bronze statue of Benito Juárez in New Orleans, marking the years he lived there in exile as a cigar maker before returning to Mexico.

Commemorates Juárez's years of exile in New Orleans, where he wrote the Plan of Ayutla.

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Bronze statue of a standing man in a long coat and trousers on a tall grey granite pedestal, with a bronze Mexican coat of arms and inscribed text on the pedestal, under a clear blue sky. Trees and a street appear behind.
Statue of Benito Juárez by Juan Fernando Olaguíbel, dedicated 1972, Basin Street, New Orleans.

About this source

What it is

This bronze statue by sculptor Juan Fernando Olaguíbel stands on a granite pedestal on Basin Street in New Orleans. It was a gift from the Mexican government in 1965 and was dedicated in 1972, on the hundredth anniversary of Juárez's death, as part of a project honoring figures from the history of the Americas.

Why it matters

Juárez lived in New Orleans during two periods of exile after being imprisoned by dictator Santa Anna. While there, he worked rolling cigars and wrote the Plan of Ayutla, a document that helped spark a successful revolution allowing his return to Mexico. The statue marks this connection between his political career and his time in the United States, and reflects later diplomatic ties between Mexico and the city.

Look closer

  • Why might a city like New Orleans want to honor a foreign president with a statue?
  • What does Juárez's choice to write a revolutionary plan while in exile tell you about his character?
  • What questions would you ask about why this statue was placed specifically in the French Quarter area?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Benito Juárez on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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