Concepción, Sololá Explained

Official Name:Concepción
Pushpin Map:Guatemala
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Guatemala
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Guatemala
Subdivision Name1: Sololá
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Concepción
Leader Title:Acting Mayor (2015-2016)
Leader Name:Pedro Juracán Lopic[1]
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population As Of:Census 2002
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Population Blank2:Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism, Maya
Coordinates:14.7833°N -91.15°W
Blank Name:Climate
Blank Info:Cwb

Concepción (pronounced as /es/) is a municipality in the Sololá department of Guatemala. The outstanding characteristic of the municipality is that 100% of its inhabitants are native people.[2]

History

Spanish Colony

There is not any exact record of the exact foundation date of the town; it is known, however, that there was a time that it was called "Concepción Quechelaj" and "Concepción Paquixalá" according to several documents form the Spanish Colony era. The word "Quechelaj" is from the kakchikel language and means "River of thorns". After the Spanish conquest of Guatemala the town was called "Nuestra Señora de La Concepción" after the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.[3] However, the town changed name several times after that.

During the Spanish Colony it was part of the Tecpán Atitlán district and when Tecpán became an "alcaldía mayor" (English:Major municipality) of Sololá Nuestra Señora de La Concepción became part of it, as reported in 1749. Documents from 1765 show its name as "Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Pajixolá". And in 1770, archbishop Pedro Cortés y Larraz described the town as "Concepción Kixalá, part of San Francisco Panajachel parish".

After Independence from Spain

According to a record from 1892, Concepción is reported as a municipality of Sololá Department.

21st century

See also: La Linea corruption case.

On 11 October 2015, a little over a month after the municipal elections for the 2016–20 mayoral term, an angry mob lynched and murdered re-elected Mayor Basilio Juracán, from the LIDER party, accusing him of allegedly ordering a hit against his former competitor for the mayor office from the Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza party —UNE—; the mob burned two vehicles and three houses, among those the one where the deceased mayor was hiding.[4]

Climate

Concepción has a temperate climate (Köppen: Cwb).

Geographic location

The municipal capital is 6 km away from Sololá and 146 km away of Guatemala City.

See also

Notes and references

Bibliography

14.7833°N -91.15°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alcaldes electos en el departamento de Sololá . Municipalidades de Guatemala . 12 October 2015 . 12 October 2015 . Guatemala . es . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151012152026/http://www.municipalidadesdeguatemala.info/alcaldes-16/alcaldes-solola-16.php . October 12, 2015 .
  2. Web site: Municipio de Concepción, Sololá . Escalante Herrera, Marco Antonio . Guatemala . 2007 . 18 June 2010 . Pbase . es . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100618094329/http://www.pbase.com/m_escalante_herrera/concepcion_sol . June 18, 2010 .
  3. Municipio de Concepción, Sololá. Ejercicio Profesional Supervisado. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas de la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. Guatemala. es.
  4. News: Turba mata a alcalde en Concepción, Sololá tras ataque a exrival . 11 October 2015 . 11 October 2015 . Siglo 21 . Guatemala . es . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151012040605/http://www.s21.com.gt/nacionales/2015/10/11/turba-mata-alcalde-concepcion-solola-tras-ataque-exrival . October 12, 2015 .