Plan Orozquista

Orozco along with Pancho Villa had defeated the Federal Army in the Battle of Ciudad Juárez, which pushed Porfirio Díaz to resign as president and go into exile.

Madero signed the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez, which called for an interim government, new elections, and the retention of the Federal Army, which Orozco’s forces had just defeated.

Once Madero was elected President in October 1911, he did not move on land reform, which had been one of the promises in his 1910 Plan of San Luis Potosí.

The plan was prefaced by a bitter denunciation of Madero, who had dismissed Orozco’s contribution to the Revolution and sidelined him once he was elected president.

[2][3] Article 1 is brief, stating "The initiator of the Revolution, Francisco I. Madero, falsified and violated the Plan of San Luis Potosi.

"[4] Articles 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 denounce Madero and his family for malfeasance and an alleged alliance between the U.S., Wall Street bankers, which "placed the destiny of the Fatherland [patria] in the hands of the American government…."

Article 34 seeks to "improve and raise the conditions of the working class", outlining in five sub-articles the abolition of company stores [tiendas de raya]; wages to be paid in cash not company scrip; limitation on number of hours worked; prohibition of labor for children under age 10 and limitation of hours to those age 10-16; increase in daily wages; demands for hygienic conditions in factories that "guarantee the health of the workers."

The Plan ends with rhetorical flourishes urging Mexicans to join the defense of institutions and "withdraw recognition of the government of an ominous man [Madero] who is carrying the country to ruin and slavery.

Your heroism and discipline in the last contest won you the admiration of the world: If the chivalrous spirit in your souls evokes scruples about having to shoot fellow Mexicans, we ask that you bear in mind that this is a true fight of emancipation.

Orozco had hoped other northern states would rally to his plan, but only Chihuahua did, but some 5,000 men answered his call to arms and posed a huge challenge to the new and weak Madero government.

[7] Orozco’s rebellion was ultimately suppressed by General Victoriano Huerta and the Federal Army, but Madero’s government and hold on power was undermined by this challenge from a revolutionary hero.