n 1876, Porfirio Díaz who had entered politics after a military career used force to unseat he Mexican president. He then seized power for himself in a sham "election." Except for the four years between 1880 and 1884 (during which he remained unofficially in command) Diaz held the presidency until 1911. The period spanning Porfirio's presidency is known as the "Porfiriato." It was marked by dictatorial rule, suppression of civil liberties, and an extremely unbalanced economy. Diaz: confiscated communally -owned indigenous lands and offered them to foreign investors for purchase. These deals were lucrative, and money poured into the country.The small upper class enjoyed the new wealth. But with their land ripped away,Mexico's large peasant population had no option but to become laborers for the new landowners . They sank ever deeper into poverty. According to the excerpt the Porfiriato was characterized by __ A freedom of speech B ) oppression of the lower classes C ) criticism of capitalism D ) discrimination against landowners