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Puerto Chiapas History

Brief Synopsis

Some historians assert that geography is destiny. In the case of the Soconusco region of Chiapas, its relative isolation from the central powers of Mexico has resulted in it being left pretty much alone for much of its history.

Soconusco residents can trace their history back over 3,700 years, to primitive hierarchical societies whose ruins remain to be seen at Izapa. The Aztecs were much more recent overlords, having asserted authority over the area just two decades prior to the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

After Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, the Soconusco region became part of the United Provinces of Central America, and in 1841, the area was subsumed by Guatemala. It wasn't until 1881 that the region once again became part of Mexico.

In the mid-1880s, the Soconusco region witnessed substantial immigration from foreign countries, notably from Germany; these Germans established many coffee-growing fincas in the region. This investment led to substantial economic growth and regional prosperity. Today, Tapachula, the capital of Soconusco, enjoys one of the highest GDPs in all of Mexico.

German-style home in Tapachula

Pre-Columbian Inhabitants

Archaeological evidence shows that somewhere around 1750 B.C. the inhabitants of the Soconusco region had developed a hierarchical village society, with larger, more elaborate houses presumably reserved for chieftains.

The Aztecs conquered Soconusco a few decades before the Spanish arrived. Before its subjugation, the region had been relatively isolated, protected from the rest of Mesoamerica by the mountains of the continental divide (Sierra Madre del Sur). Inhabitants at the time of the Spanish conquest included the Mames (Maya), with isolated Nahuatl establishments, as can be seen at the ruins of Izapa.

The Soconusco was at the fringes of the Aztec empire, and provided jaguar pelts, cacao and quetzal feathers for the ruling classes in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. "Soconusco" means "high quality chocolate" in Spanish.

© istockphoto.com/Graffizone

Spanish Conquest and Administration

The Spanish, under the command of Pedro de Alvarado, conquered the Soconusco region in February 1524, during Alvarado's expedition to Guatemala.

The Soconusco region was then part of the Kingdom of Guatemala (also known as the Captaincy General of Guatemala), an administrative division that was comprised of the countries of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Mexican state of Chiapas. In turn, the Kingdom of Guatemala was a dependency of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, or Mexico.

During the Colonial period, the Soconusco region was sparsely populated and engaged primarily in agricultural pursuits.

Tapachula originated as a small village on the banks of the Coatan River, the "River of the Serpent," settled by a community of people speaking a Mixe-Zoque language. During the Colonial period, there was no mention of a town until 1794, when it replaced Esquintla as seat for the authorities of the Soconusco region. Tapachula was the home of Fray Matias de Cordoba, main architect of Chiapas independence.

Don Pedro de Alvarado

Resolution of Territorial Claims

Mexico won her 11 year struggle for independence from Spain in August 1821; at the same time, the Kingdom of Guatemala effectively ended after the Guatemalan elite rebelled against their Spanish overlords. Upon receiving independence, Soconusco, together with the rest of the Kingdom of Guatemala, joined the First Mexican Empire under Agustin de Iturbide in 1822.

When the First Mexican Empire was dissolved in 1823, after the signing of the Plan de Casa Mata, the Central American entities demanded independence from Mexico. They subsequently created the United Provinces of Central America in 1823. A series of plebiscites were held to determine whether individual regions favored joining the federation, remaining in Mexico, or separately declaring independence. Chiapas was the only province to favor remaining in Mexico.

Despite the results of the plebiscite, on July 24, 1824 rebels in Soconusco proclaimed its separation from Chiapas and its annexation to Guatemala and the United Provinces of Central America. On the following August 18, the National Assembly of Central America accepted the annexation, and on May 25, 1825 Central American troops occupied the region.

After the dissolution of the United Provinces of Central America in 1841, Soconusco authorities petitioned for its reincorporation into Mexico. The issue between Mexico and Guatemala remained unresolved until a boundary treaty was signed on September 27, 1882, when Guatemala gave up its claims to Soconusco and Chiapas.

Agustin de Iturbide

Impact of Foreign Immigration

In 1883, the Law of Colonization was passed, permitting foreigners to acquire, through concessions, extensions of territory with the purpose of colonizing and developing its resources.

Shortly thereafter, thousands of Germans immigrated to the Soconuscan region during the coffee boom of the mid-1880's, creating numerous German villages, haciendas and fincas throughout the territory. Many of the descendents of these early settlers continue to maintain these coffee growing properties.

The investments and the entrepreneurial skills of these immigrants helped generate substantial economic growth as had never been seen in any city within Chiapas, during either Colonial or Republican times.

The Japanese and the Chinese also left a strong influence in Tapachula, in both cuisine and architecture. They came to construct railroads, and were among the first Asian immigrants in Latin America.

Today's Tapachula

Tapachula is a pleasant, neat but relatively expensive commercial town about a half-hour's drive from Puerto Chiapas. It is both a town (with a population of over 190,000 people) and a Municipality, incorporating several surrounding regions, including the beaches of Playa Linda and the port of Puerto Chiapas.

The town has a very culturally diverse population, including Native Americans and Mestizos, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, French and others. Tapachula boasts one of the highest Gross Domestic Products of any city in Mexico.

Hurricane Stan, which arrived in 2005, dumped massive amounts of rain on the area, and produced substantial damage to the area.