Everything about Los Altos Central America totally explained
Los Altos ("The Highlands" in the
Spanish language) was an area of
Central America, which was added as a sixth state to the
Federal Republic of Central America in the
1830s. Its capital was
Quetzaltenango and it occupied the west of present-day
Guatemala and parts of the
Mexican state of
Chiapas.
The state originated from the political differences and tensions between
Guatemala City on one side, and
Quetzaltenango and other parts of western Central America on the other. Debate about separation from Guatemala dated from shortly after Central American independence from
Spain in
1821. Such a separate state was provided for by the Federal constitutional assembly of November of
1824, but there was sizable opposition to the separation in Guatemala City.
The independence of Los Altos from Guatemala was officially proclaimed on
2 February,
1838. The Federal government recognized Los Altos as the sixth state of the union and seated the representatives of Los Altos in the Federal Congress on
5 June of that year. The
flag of Los Altos was a modification of that of the Central American Union, with a central seal showing a
volcano in the background with a
quetzal (a local bird symbolizing
liberty) in front. This was the first Central American flag to use the quetzal as a symbol; since
1871, it has been on the present
flag of Guatemala.
Los Altos consisted of the administrative regions of Totonicapan (the modern Guatemalan departments of
Totonicapán,
Huehuetenango), Quetzaltenango (the modern departments of
Quetzaltenango and
San Marcos) and Suchitepéquez-Sololá (the modern departments of
Retalhuleu,
Suchitepéquez,
Sololá, and
Quiché).
As the Federation crumbled into
civil war, Los Altos declared itself an independent republic. On
2 April, 1840, the majority of the government officials from Los Altos were captured by
Rafael Carrera's horde army, then quickly shot on his orders. Rafael Carrera,
de facto ruler, forcibly annexed
Quetzaltenango and much of Los Altos into Guatemala. Taking advantage of the chaos and unsettled situation,
Soconusco, part of what had been the Federal Republic of Central America in modern eastern Chiapas was annexed by
Mexico.
In
1844,
1848, and
1849, unsuccessful revolts against the
dictatorship of
Rafael Carrera briefly reproclaimed the independence of Los Altos.
The region is still distinctive today, and
Los Altos is still a nickname for the region of Guatemala around Quetzaltenango. Similarly, the Mexican portion of the former state is known as
Los Altos de Chiapas.
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