Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spanish policies kept wealth and power in the hands of Spanish-born elites, or
chapetones
.
Criollos
, or those born in the New World of Spanish descent, were the next rung down the
ladder, with the lowest standings reserved for mixed-blood
mestizos
and full-blooded Indi-
ans.
Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808 led to the imposition of a liberal constitution on
Spain in 1812. When Mexican general Agustán Iturbide declared his own country's in-
dependence from Spain, Guatemala followed suit. The reigning Captain General Gabino
Gaínza bowed to demands for independence but hoped to maintain the existent power
structure with the support of the church and landowning elites. The declaration of inde-
pendence essentially maintained the old power structure under new management. Mexico
quickly dispatched troops to annex Guatemala, and all of Central America, to Iturbide's
new empire.
Iturbide was dethroned in 1823, and Central America, minus the state of Chiapas, de-
clared its independence from Mexico. This second declaration joined the remaining states
in a loose federation and adopted many U.S.modeled liberal reforms, such as the abolition
of slavery. A protracted power struggle between liberals advocating a secular, more egalit-
arian state and conservatives wanting to maintain the church-dominated political and eco-
nomic structures marked the early years of independence. The Central American Federa-
tion was weakened not only by inner power struggles within individual member states, but
also by a struggle to determine regional leadership over neighboring states.
The liberals would finally succeed in 1871 under the leadership of General Justo Rufino
Barrios,who,alongwithMiguelGarcíaGranados,setoutfromMexicowithaforceofjust
45men,gainingnumbersastheirapproachtothecapitalgrewcloser.Thecapitalwastaken
on June 30, 1871, and Granados was installed as the leader of the new liberal government.
Granados made only limited reforms and by 1872 a frustrated Barrios marched to the cap-
ital with his troops and demanded elections, which he won overwhelmingly.
Among the reforms quickly instituted by Barrios, who would go down in Guatemalan
history as “The Reformer,” were educational reform and separation of church and state.
Barrioswasthefirstofthe
caudillos,
militarystrongmenwhoruledthecountrywithaniron
fist and sense of absolute omnipotence, mostly uninterrupted, until the revolution of 1944.
He masterfully strengthened his power over the entire country with links to local strong-
men in rural areas wielding power on his behalf but unable to challenge his hold because
oftherestricteddevelopmentofsecondarymarketcentersandtheoverwhelmingeconomic
dominance of Guatemala City.
To further exercise his dominion, Barrios professionalized the military, creating a new
militaryacademy,theEscuelaPolitecnica,stillinexistencetoday.Theadditionofruralmi-
