Acatlán de Juárez is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 154 km2.
As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 22,540.
History The first settlers in the region were members of a tribe that was established in Cocula, They were defeated by the Purepecha in 1509.
In the year of 1550 the area for the first time attained the first level of a municipality, under the power of the viceroy of the New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza. During his rule he encountered discontent with people in Zacoalco de Torres, Ahualulco and Ameca. In the first half of the 17th century the Augustinians built a temple dedicated to Santa Ana, known today as the "Parroquia de Santa Ana".
In 1825 the area fell under the canton of Sayula. In 1858, Benito Juárez, in his journey through these lands, stayed at the inn in the town of Acatlán de Juárez, owned by Miguel Gomez. During his short stay, he was killed at the hands of the conservatives, and died saving the pastor of the place, Meliton Gutierrez Vargas. On March 22, 1906, by decree 1158, the name of the earlier village changed its name from Santa Ana Acatlan to Acaltán de Juarez, and acquired the title of a town.
Geography Acatlán de Juárez is located in the centre of Jalisco state between the coordinates 20° 14'30" north latitude and 103° 32'30" west longitude at an altitude of 1,393 metres above sea level.
The municipality is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Tala and Tlajomulco de Zuñiga, to the east by the municipalities of Tlajomulco de Zuñiga, Jocotepec and Zacoalco de Torres to the south with the municipalities of Zacoalco de Torres and Villa Corona, and to the west by the municipalities of Villa Corona and Tala.
Approximately 57% of the land area is flat, especially in the middle east, west and south of the municipality with its characteristic valleys. The primary agricultural areas at some 39% are located to the north and east, with altitudes of 1,400 and 1,500 m. There are some hilly areas accounting for just 4% of the land area which lies to the south-east and north-west at altitudes that reach the 2.200 m.
The municipality belongs to the hydrological basin known as Lerma-Chapala-Santiago. Its water resources are provided by the Acatlán River and the springs El Cajón del Muerto and Charco Verde. In addition, several small streams flow in the rainy season, the Hurtado, Presa Chica and Bordo de San Gerardo.
The climate is dry with a dry winter and spring, semi-warm in the winter season. The average annual temperature is 20.5 °C, with an average annual rainfall of 714.7 mm and can reach up to 1,100, with the heaviest rainfall in July and August. Prevailing winds flow in the easterly direction.
Economy Agriculture is the primary activity in the municipality, with crops such as sugarcane, maize, beans, peanuts, sunflower and tomato. Livestock is also a main economic activity with the rearing of cattle, swine, sheep, goats, horses, rabbits and hives. Sugar and alcohol production are of note. The town has a wide variety of commercial establishments and provides services to tourists.
Government The form of government is democratic under the state and Federal elections, which are held every three years. At the municipal level, the mayor and her/his council are elected. The current municipal president is Jaime Enrique Velasco, from the Citizens' Movement party. He was elected in the election of 6 June 2021.
The municipality has 27 villages, the most important ones are: Acatlán de Juárez (town), Bellavista, El Plan, San José de los Pozos, San Pedro Valencia, and Villa de los Niños.
Municipal presidents Municipal president Term Political party NotesMiguel Díaz C.1878Manuel López Portillo1879Basilio Rueda1880Pedro Zaragoza1881Manuel López Portillo1882Joaquín Baeza1883Silvestre Ruvalcaba1897J. M. Elizondo1897Basilio Rueda1898Francisco Baeza1898Basilio Rueda1898Tranquilino Elizondo1899Basilio Rueda1899Tranquilino Elizondo1899Joaquín Baeza1900Antonio Ruvalcaba1901Andrés T. Bobadilla1902Francisco Baeza1903Joaquín Baeza1903Miguel Corona1904Joaquín Baeza1904SubstituteIgnacio Guzmán1904SubstituteJoaquín Baeza1904SubstituteAndrés Bobadilla1904SubstituteHeladio Rueda1906By operation of the lawHeladio Rueda1907Ignacio Guzmán1907Heladio Rueda1907Leopoldo López Portillo1907Heladio Rueda1907Joaquín Baeza1908Leopoldo López Portillo1908Joaquín Baeza1908Leopoldo López Portillo1909Heladio Rueda1910Antonio Ruvalcaba1910SubstituteAntonio Ruvalcaba1910Leopoldo López Portillo1911Antonio V. Alvarado1911Adalberto Olvera1912Manuel Vázquez1912Adalberto Olvera1912Manuel Vázquez1912By operation of the lawJesús V. García1912By operation of the lawAdalberto Olvera1912Serapio Bobadilla1913José Ma. Villagrana1914Enrique Martínez1914Juan Zúñiga1914Primitivo Zepeda1915Acting municipal presidentJuan Zúñiga1915Francisco Corona1915Francisco Corona1916Gabriel Guerrero1916Basilio Jiménez1916Felipe Siordia1916Ignacio García1916Felipe Siordia1917Ignacio Siordia1918Marcos Gutiérrez1918Félix Ramírez1919Marcos Gutiérrez1919Matías García1919By operation of the lawMarcos Gutiérrez1919Servando Rueda1920Saturnino Corral1920J. Félix Ramírez1920Acting municipal presidentJosé Aguilar1921Edmundo Bobadilla1921Aurelio López1921Acting municipal presidentEdmundo Bobadilla1921Andrés T. Bobadilla1922Saturnino Coral1922Apolonio Trujillo H.1922Saturnino Coral1922Servando Rizo1923Servando Rueda1923Apolonio Trujillo1923Apolonio Trujillo1924Rodrigo Pérez1924Concepción Cortés1924Ponciano Salas1924Jaime Castillo1924Roberto Cárdenas1924Roberto Cárdenas1925Francisco R. Flores1925Francisco R. Flores1926Manuel Ruvalcaba1926Saturnino Coral1926Francisco López García1926J. Félix Ramírez1927Ignacio Baeza1927Secundino Torres1927Francisco López García1928Benjamín Alamillo1928Andrés Larios1928By operation of the lawFrancisco López García1928Samuel R. Trujillo1929Francisco López García1930PNR Saturnino Coral1931PNR Lamberto Castellanos1932PNR Narciso Gutiérrez1933–1934PNR Aureliano Z. Alvarado1935PNR Pedro Villegas1936PNR Gonzalo Castillo1937PNR Margarito Ríos1938PRM Víctor Limón1939PRM Narciso Gutiérrez1940PRM Clemente Hermosillo1941–1942PRM José Grajeda Gómez1943–1944PRM Fidel García Gómez1945–1946PRM Silvestre Ruvalcaba Rizo1947–1948PRI N/A1949–1950N/A1951–1952José Hernández Velasco01-01-1953–31-12-1955PRI Silvestre Ruvalcaba Rizo01-01-1956–31-12-1958PRI J. Natividad Barrera García01-01-1959–31-12-1961PRI J. Jesús Ramírez Hernández01-01-1962–31-12-1964PRI Ignacio Meléndez Maldonado01-01-1965–31-12-1967PRI Isidoro Díaz Mejía01-01-1968–31-12-1970PRI Alberto Cuevas Zúñiga01-01-1971–31-12-1973PRI Apolonio Fúnez Cabrera01-01-1974–31-12-1976PRI Florencio Domínguez Íñiguez01-01-1977–31-12-1979PRI Juan Ruiz Guerrero1980–1982PRI Petronilo Ibarra1982PRI Acting municipal presidentJ. Natividad Barrera García 1983PRI Juan García Lizaola1983–1985PRI Acting municipal presidentMa. Guadalupe de León López1986–1988PRI Rito Moreno Hernández01-01-1989–1992PRI José Ortiz Borrayo1992–1995PRI Felipe de Jesús López García1995–1997PRI Miguel Ángel Carrasco01-01-1998–31-12-2000PVEM Martín Dávalos Gómez01-01-2001–2003PRI Remigio García Villegas01-01-2004–31-12-2006PRI Luis Carrillo Bueno 01-01-2007–31-12-2009PRD PT Édgar Santiago Aviña Mejía01-01-2010–30-09-2012PAN Emeterio Corona Vázquez01-10-2012–30-09-2015PRI PVEM Coalition "Compromise for Jalisco"Gerardo Uvaldo Ochoa Alvarado01-10-2015–30-09-2018MC Gerardo Uvaldo Ochoa Alvarado01-10-2018–30-09-2021MC Was reelected on 01-07-2018Jaime Enrique Velasco López 01-10-2021–MC
Culture Our Lady of Guadalupe Juan Diego Much of the architecture in the municipality is stone work dating back to the 1850s. The town contains the "Benito Juárez" arts and crafts museum. A religious festival is celebrated on July 26 n honor of St. Anne, the patron saint of the city. It is customary on December 11 each year to also light bonfires at night along the streets, to commemorate the vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego.
Local cuisine includes the Birria goat, Carnitas beef, pork and beans and sweets known as Encalada flour fritters and ponteduro. Guarapo, a fruit cane juice and fruit punch are common beverages.
Notable landmarks Architecture Parroquia de Santa Ana Museo de Artes y Oficios Chorros de Santa Ana Mesón de la Providencia Museo Benito Juárez Panteón Municipal
Parks and reserves Cerro de la Coronilla Mirador de Santa Cruz Cerro de la Lima Paseo del Río Presa del Hurtado
Notable people Isidoro Díaz – international footballer
References