Recently, I was honored to join Governor Pat Quinn and State of Mexico Governor Eruviel Avila at an event honoring the important Mexican leader, Benito Juarez. Governor Avila laid a wreath at the Benito Juarez statue located at 420 S. Michigan. The statue was donated by the President of Mexico in 1977. The Governor's office noted that for 150 years, Mexico and Illinois have shared a special friendship. Juarez sent an emissary, Matias Romero, to Springfield to extend greetings to then President-elect Abraham Lincoln, making Mexico the first foreign nation to officially congratulate Lincoln. Juarez and Lincoln have often been compared -- both come from humble origins, were self-taught and have a passion for human rights.
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