Juan Nepomuceno Laureano Méndez Sánchez (2 July 1824 – 29 November 1894) was a Mexican general, a Liberal politician and confidant of Porfirio Díaz, and interim president of the Republic for a few months during the Porfiriato.

He continued in the army after the war, and on 15 December 1854 he was named commander of a battalion in the Puebla National Guard.

[citation needed] He fought in the Battle of Puebla against the French on 5 May 1862 and took part in the defense of the city during the subsequent siege.

He was again named governor and military commander of Puebla on 16 April 1867, positions he held until 15 January of the following year.

[citation needed] With the success of the Plan de Tuxtepec, Díaz temporarily turned over the government to Méndez on 6 December 1876 in order to take the field to fight the partisans of José María Iglesias.