The Guatemalan Revolution of 1871 was a revolt led by Liberals under Justo Rufino Barrios and Miguel García Granados against the Conservative leadership of President Vicente Cerna y Cerna, the hand-picked successor of Rafael Carrera.
Overview In June 1871, Liberal revolutionaries commanded by Barrios and Granados successfully overthrew the government of President Cerna upon triumphantly entering the capital. Just a few days before, the Liberals had issued the Acta de Patzicía (Plan of Patzicía) which declared an open rebellion against the Conservative regime.
Following the overthrow of Cerna, Granados was appointed President on June 30, holding the position until June 1873, when it was then handed over to Barrios. The newly established government soon began implementing major reforms, including the confiscation of church and communal lands. Barrios continuously faced opposition from Conservative elites, such as the Arrivillaga and Aycinena clans, whose large estates had been confiscated under his leadership.
Background Central American Federation Main articles: United Provinces of Central America and Federal Republic of Central America
During the Central American mandate of Francisco Morazán, who had moved the Central American capital to El Salvador, internal struggles within the confederation forced him to undertake military actions to maintain its unity. He had to go into exile in 1840, forced by the conservative forces of Rafael Carrera; he returned two years later, intending to restore the confederation, but was betrayed and ultimately executed by firing squad in Costa Rica.
Conservative governments of Guatemala
After the victory of Rafael Carrera in the struggle he had initiated since 1837 against Francisco Morazán, the fractures among the local governments of Central America made it impossible to continue with the Federal Republic of Central America: a powerful conservative government in Guatemala eliminated any possibility of such a union. Carrera settled in power and governed Guatemala on two occasions and was later elected president for life until his death. Rafael Carrera had during his government the favorable support of conservative and liberal political and religious groups (although not publicly). During his mandate, he vindicated and returned to the regular ordersFranciscans, Dominicans, Mercedarians and Jesuits, among others. the goods that had been confiscated from the Catholic Church during the liberal governments, restored tithes, abolished the indigenous tribute, silenced the press—something that, it should be said, continued to be practiced by the liberals in a harsher and stricter manner—and founded the Republic of Guatemala on March 21, 1847. What is not generally discussed or written about are the contributions in economic matters, since it was during his government that coffee began to be cultivated in the country due to the fact that cochineal dyeAt that time the main crop of Guatemala was losing ground in international markets because of the emergence of artificial red dyes. He maintained a war against El Salvador and Honduras between 1850 and 1853, and in El Salvador, supporting the conservatives, overthrowing Gerardo Barrios and installing Francisco Dueñas. After the death of Carrera and some provisional governments, Vicente Cerna y Cerna was elected president of the Republic in 1865. During his government, Cerna continued the conservative policy initiated by his predecessor. After being re-elected in 1869, he implemented a repressive policy and ended parliamentary debate. Miguel García Granados, who had been leader of the Liberal Party, and who had maintained opposition to the policies of Carrera and Cerna, led two failed uprisings against Cerna in 1865 and 1867, after which he had to go into exile in Mexico. In this country, together with Justo Rufino Barrios, he organized an army along with exiled Guatemalans (mostly mercenaries) to depose Cerna.
History of the Liberal Reform
Chronology Background and military actions of the Liberal Revolution of 1871CampaignDateDescriptionBackground1868The conservative government took strong repressive measures in the mountainous region, relocating entire towns to new locations and evacuating the population from conflict regions to weaken the rebels. Francisco Cruz rose in arms from the estate of Justo Rufino Barrios in Malacatán, but was defeated and executed; Barrios fled to Chiapas and became the leader of the Guatemalan liberals, with the help of Mexican president Benito Juárez. Barrios's father was captured and tortured in Guatemala City. Cerna's government was completely identified with the conservative elite of the Aycinena clan and had lost the support of the large indigenous masses that had been unconditional to Carrera.8 January 1869Marshal Vicente Cerna y Cerna, attempting to legitimize his presidency, announced that his presidential term would end on May 23 of that year and called for a meeting of the assembly on January 17 to elect a new president, whose term would end in 1872. The liberals chose José Víctor Zavala, a conservative and friend of Carrera, as their candidate, since they considered him the only one who could guide the transition between radical conservatives and positivist liberals.17 January 1869Marshal Cerna was elected in the assembly, while General Zavala began to align with liberal representatives, although without ceasing to be loyal to the conservative government.25 November 1869After suspending constitutional guarantees, Cerna informed the Assembly that he would suspend its sessions because the conditions of the country did not guarantee that this body could meet normally. The Assembly closed its sessions on December 1, 1869 and granted power to the president to suppress the insurgents.Campaign of General Serapio Cruz7 December 1869The liberal troops of Serapio Cruz attacked the plaza of Huehuetenango where they were repelled by the forces of the conservative government.23 January 1870General Serapio Cruz, who had risen in arms against Cerna's conservative government, was defeated in Palencia where his forces were dispersed and he was captured and executed. His body was decapitated and the head fried in oil and then paraded triumphantly through the streets of Guatemala City. Cerna eliminated the freedom of thought that had existed in Guatemala since Carrera's death and ordered the capture of liberal leaders, deputy Miguel García Granados, Manuel Larrave and José María Samayoa. Only García Granados managed to escape, aided by fellow deputy José Víctor Zavala, and then took refuge in the British embassy, from where he was able to leave the country after paying a bail of $10,000.Campaign of 18713 April 1871Captain Antonio Búrbano, commanding two hundred sixty men of government forces, attacked Tacaná, but after a brief combat withdrew leaving the field to the small liberal force. Conservative president Dueñas fell in El Salvador, allowing the eastern front against the government to begin.14 May 1871When the forces of Miguel García Granados approached Retalhuleu, it was abandoned by its garrison of two hundred fifty men. The liberals were later attacked by four hundred men from Santa Rosa, commanded by Major Simón Ruano together with the two hundred fifty who had fled. But the liberals managed to repel the forces of the conservative government.28 May 1871Colonel Aquilino Calonge with nine hundred men from the conservative government moved against the insurgent liberals, who numbered only three hundred men. The combat began at 9:00 am, and despite the numerical superiority of the government forces, they were completely defeated, leaving on the field two hundred weapons, eight boxes of ammunition and other supplies.3 June 1871Act of Patzicía: Barrios and other liberal leaders met in Patzicía, and rejected the authority of Cerna's government, appointing General Miguel García Granados as provisional president, authorized to establish his government.23 June 1871Eight hundred men of the liberal army had taken positions on the summit of Cerro el Coshón, and on June 22 advanced to Tierra Blanca. On the 23rd at 4:00 am the conservative troops of Vicente Cerna y Cerna, which extended from the heights of Calvario of Totonicapán to Agua Caliente, began the combat, which ended at 1:00 p.m. with a defeat for Cerna's forces, which despite numbering six thousand men, had to yield the plaza to the liberals. Cerna withdrew from Totonicapán and García Granados's troops occupied the plaza the following day.29 June 1871After the defeat at Tierra Blanca, President Cerna went to Chimaltenango, where he intended to fortify himself, but at the last moment decided to continue toward Antigua Guatemala; the liberals who followed him took the road to Sumpango, cutting off his communication with Guatemala City. At 8:30 am on the 29th, the liberals occupied San Lucas Sacatepéquez. General García Granados ordered General Barrios to take positions dominating the crossroads of San Lucas, where the road forks between Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City. Barrios sent three companies to occupy Cerro San Bartolo, which engaged the conservative vanguard and occupied the position. Cerna had the heights overlooking the road to Labor de Diéguez and other nearby positions occupied, but was defeated after an hour of combat.30 June 1871Entry of the liberal army into the capital of Guatemala: Marshal José Víctor Zavala intervened to prevent the liberal troops from carrying out a massacre in the city, and to guarantee an efficient transition to the new government.Conservative revolt23 September 1871General Barrios triumphed over the forces of the conservative faction that rose against the liberals.24 September 1871After occupying Cerro Gordo, Barrios again defeated the conservative revolutionaries in Santa Rosa.
On June 30, 1871, the liberal army entered Guatemala City and García Granados was appointed provisional president, governing until June 4, 1873. His ministers of state were: José Víctor Zavala—in the Ministry of War—, Felipe Gálvez—in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in that of Public Instruction—, J.M. Samayoa—in the Ministry of Development—, and Francisco Alburez—in that of Government, Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs.
From the first days of his government, decrees were initiated that radically modified the economic and diplomatic policy of the Guatemalan regime. For example, the Ministry of Development was created by García Granados on August 25, 1871, according to Decree No. 14 of the liberal government, replacing the Consulate of Commerce that had functioned during the conservative governments; this new ministry was tasked with promoting and improving commerce, agriculture, livestock, arts, industries, public works, telegraph lines and other means of communication.
National symbols
There were also other decrees, aimed at eliminating any conservative vestige from national emblems; Decree No. 12 of the liberal government established the new national flag of Guatemala on August 17, 1871, reverting to the colors approved on August 21, 1823 and eliminating the red and yellow stripes that had been instituted by the government of Rafael Carrera as references to Spain.Museo Nacional de Historia de Guatemala.
Subsequently, the creation of the current Coat of arms of Guatemala was authorized, where the quetzal appears as a symbol of freedom, replacing the conservative coat of arms, which referred to the creation of the Republic of Guatemala on March 21, 1847, in clear opposition to the union with the rest of the nations of the area, which were liberal.
These were the changes in the national symbols:
Attack on the political and economic power of the Catholic Church