Zapotec Community of Guelatao de JuÁrez


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Guelatao de Juárez, founded in 1824 shortly after independence from Spain, is at the same time a “localidad” (i.e., populated place), a comunidad agraria, and a municipio, one of the smallest in the country with a population of less than 500 people and only 4.5 square kilometers of territory.  Guelatao’s claim to fame, however, is that it is the birthplace of multi-term indigenous President of Mexico, Benito Juárez (1806-1872), who was raised by his indigenous Zapotec parents but who moved to Oaxaca City at an early age to study, later practice law, and eventually lead the country as of one Mexico’s most influential presidents.