Rurales
| Guardia Rural | |
|---|---|
Rurales in parade uniform during the Diaz era c. 1900. | |
| Active | 1861–1914 (first stage) 1920s–1950s (second stage) 1970s–present (modern) |
| Country | Mexico |
| Branch | Mexican Army |
| Type | Gendarmerie |
| Nickname(s) | Rurales |
| Engagements | Historic mounted police force:
Modern militia: |
In Mexico, the term Rurales (Spanish) is used to refer to two armed government forces. The historic Guardia Rural ('Rural Guard') was a rural mounted police force, founded by President Benito Juárez in 1861 and expanded by President Porfirio Díaz (r. 1876–1911). Under Díaz, it served as an effective force of repression and a counterweight to the Mexican Army during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The rurales were dissolved during the Mexican Revolution.
The modern Cuerpo de Defensa Rural ('Rural Defense Corps') is a modern part-time voluntary militia, generally used to support Federal forces.