Mexican politician and military figure. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. At 18 years of age he became a follower of the libertarian Valentin Gomez Farias. He quickly was favorable to the ecclesiastic deamortization and the establishment of cultural tolerance. About that same time his family moved to make residence in Mexico City. In 1838 he was part of the defense of San Juan de Ulua (Veracruz) during the first French invasion. He obtained a bachelor degree of Attorney from the Universidad Nacional. In 1847, he was an active participant in the defense of Mexico City from the United States on the battles of Churubusco, Molino del Rey and Chapultepec(1846-1848). On that same year he was named Governor of the Distrito Federal (27 years of age). In that position he passed the law for ecclesiastic goods amortization, gathering funds to continue the country's defense. This war cost Mexico the lost of over half of its territory (which are now 9 states of the United States). In 1851, President Mariano Arista named Regent of the city hall of Mexico City. Two years later, to exile by President Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, he moved to Europe. He want back to Mexico in 1855, after the success of the Plan the Ayutla and therefore the downfall of Santa Ana. Juan Jose Baz was Governor of the Distrito Federal from 1855 to 1856. He then was part of the Constitutional Congress on 1856 and 1957. He also intervened in the Reform war, being defeated in March of 1858 on the Salamanca battle. Shortly after, he has incarcerated by the conservative President Feliz Maria Zuloaga. He escaped to Morelia, Michoacan, where he founded "La Bandera Roja" newspaper. He was Governor of Mexico City for the fifth time, just before the French occupation in 1863. After this he exiled himself in New York City where he organized the help against the French intervention. He also organized an expedition to Veracruz that shipwrecked off the Florida coast. Years later he returned to Mexico and participated with the General Porfirio Diaz on the occupation of Puebla and Mexico City (1867) which marked the fall of Emperor Maximiliano I. Baz, as Governor of the Distrito Federal and General Porfirio Diaz presented Mexico City to President Benito Juarez upon his return from the north at the end of the French Invasion (1863-1867). Prior to this encounter, President Juárez has seen the body of Maximiliano in the City of Queretaro where the former Emperor of Mexico was executed (May, 1867). After being Governor of the Distrito Federal for the sixth time and being a member of Congess, he died in Mexico City in 1887. One street in Guadalajara and a Square in the historical downtown of Mexico City bare his name. His baptism name was Juan Jose del Refugo Baz Palafox. His parents were Diego Baz and Maria de la Concepcion Victoriana Palafox.