Levantamientos Indígenas y Campesinos en El Salvador

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show in general terms the background or what, in the words of the Guatemalan historian Severo Martínez Peláez, formed the root causes of a conflict that resulted in a broad indigenous uprising between the end of 1832 and the beginning of 1833 in the region of the nonualcos. This background that was fed from the old days of the colonial regime exploded just a little over a decade after the separation of the Kingdom of Guatemala with Spain and generated a deep power vacuum. The indigenous communities found themselves faced with a new situation as what mattered to them was conserving the little that had been gained after three long centuries of spanish rule. Attempting against this implied unleashing a conflict, but the new elites did not stop at it, because in addition to threatening the status quo of these communities, they implemented measures that directly affected their already battered economy (direct contribution law) and conscriptions or forced recruitment, which acted as triggering causes of the uprising. Although the uprising led by Anastasio Aquino failed, the problem did not end with the execution of the nonualco caudillo and the indigenous discontent continued to be reflected in various uprisings throughout the 19th century, although certainly not with the same intensity, but it is an indication that the new elites were never interested in resolving the indigenous issue, which led the communities to seek to establish various political and participatory alliances as a survival mechanism and to achieve benefits. In general, this is the panorama of the 19th century, which was involved in various struggles between interest groups seeking power and where both indigenous people and ladinos were participants and protagonists of political life.