March 4, 2019 marked 179 years since the signing of the act that proclaimed the independence of the Yucatecan territory, in demand that the Mexican centralist government recognize that the State of Yucatan was free and sovereign and that the Federal Constitution of 1824 was restored.
It is important to note that during the colonial era, the territory currently occupied by Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo was the General Captaincy of Yucatan, which remained apart from New Spain.
When proclaiming the Independence of Mexico, Yucatan was invited to be part of the Mexican empire. When this system of government was replaced by a Federal Republic in 1824 it remained as a state of the federation, and there were only 19 entities.
The term “republic”, applied to this territory, appeared for the first time in the Political Constitution of the State of Yucatan of April 1825:
“Yucatán swears, recognizes and obeys the government of Mexico, provided it is liberal and representative; but with the following conditions:
1a.- That the union of Yucatan will be that of a federated republic, and not in any other form, and therefore it will have the right to form its particular constitution and establish the laws that it deems convenient to its happiness … ”
When Mexico adopted a centralist government, in 1835, the status of federated republic that corresponded to Yucatan disappeared, and the first republic of Yucatan disappeared. This brought great discontent to the population of the peninsula.
Some began to think about the possibility of a second republic, but already independent of Mexico, without being subject in any way to this (or as a state, province, territory or federated republic).
Several movements of repudiation of the centralist system emerged in Zacatecas, Texas, in the area of Rio Grande, and in the Peninsula there were still people who maintained the opinion of being united to Mexico, that when ceasing to be a federation broke its pact with Yucatan, because the clauses of the incorporation of the peninsula to Mexico had been violated.
The Yucatecan federalists endured the situation only five years since they began to form a federalist army to fight against the centralists.
The federalist army of Yucatan commanded by Captain Santiago Imam took the city of Valladolid, and on February 12, 1840, a manifesto was issued stating that federalism should be restored as a form of government to fight poverty in the territory.
THE SECOND REPUBLIC
On March 4, 1840, in the presence of the troops of the garrison of Merida, capital of Yucatan, commanded by Anastasio Torrens, and a large number of supporters, the act was signed supporting the triumphant movement of Valladolid and the independence of the Yucatecan territory was proclaimed, thus giving birth to the so-called second “Republic of Yucatan.”
Generally when speaking of the Republic of Yucatan, reference is made to the second epoch that was from 1840 to 1848. During this period there was a de facto separation between the State of Yucatan and the Mexican Republic. In these years of autonomy one of the most important achievements in Yucatan was to draft one of the most advanced constitutions of its time, although it was not implemented, the Constitution of Yucatan of 1841, which since then used terms and concepts still in force: the individual guarantees, the religious freedom and the juridical figure of the amparo.
During the period of this so-called “Second Republic” there was a terrible crisis originated by the so-called Caste War, which forced the Yucatecan rulers — a satellite formed by white Creoles and mestizos — to ask for military aid from Mexico in exchange for the reinstatement of Yucatan to Mexican sovereignty.
REINCORPORATION
Yucatan remained separated from Mexico for only eight years. The War of Castes was a determining factor to end this chapter of history, in which there were even internal struggles between Campechanos and Meridanos around their return to the Republic, with the former arguing that an invasion of the United States was latent, and finally they also separated from Yucatan.
Text: Manuel Pool Moguel
Photo: Agencies
