Matehuala Explained

Settlement Type:City and municipality
Official Name:Matehuala
Pushpin Map:Mexico San Luis Potosí#Mexico
Coordinates:23.6528°N -100.6444°W
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:Mexico
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:San Luis Potosí
Area Total Km2:1302
Area Blank1 Title:City
Area Blank1 Km2:23.20
Population As Of:2020 census
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:102199
Total Type:Municipality
Population Blank1 Title:City
Population Blank1:86686
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Blank1 Title:City
Population Density Blank1 Km2:auto

Matehuala is a city in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, situated at an elevation of about 1,500 m. Matehuala is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name, located in the northern part of the state, on the border with the southwestern corner of Nuevo León. The municipality of Matehuala has a population of 102,199, and an area of 1302km2.

History

Pre-Colonial

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the Potosi Plateau region was inhabited by the indigenous Guachichiles, a group of Chichimeca peoples that occupied the southern and central portions of the Mexican Plateau.[2] A nomadic people, they generally lived in small mobile villages and were primarily hunter-gatherers, making them experts of the local herbs and vegetation in the arid region.

The Guachichiles were known as fierce warriors.[3]

Colonial

Some sources claim that the name "Matehuala" was derived from a warning war cry of the Guachichiles that translates to "do not come [here]!"[4]

In the early 16th century, Spanish expeditions sought metals and mining opportunities in the Altiplano region. Captain Gabriel Ortiz de Fuenmayor and a contingent of soldiers, adventurers, and missionaries entered from Zacatecas, founding San Francisco de Matehuala in 1550. The Chichimec War erupted in 1549, lasting 40 years, causing the abandonment of Matehuala. Viceroy Luis de Velasco organized expeditions between 1551 and 1553 to end the war, using allies to settle for peace and create settlements.

The conflict continued until 1568 when frontier presidios were established. King Philip II sought peace negotiations, leading to conferences attended by indigenous leaders. In 1638, Matehuala's possession changed hands due to language barriers. By the 17th century, mineral discoveries boosted Matehuala's economy.

In 1706, the town's second founding occurred after a commission verified land ownership. In 1786, New Spain was divided into intendancies, including San Luis Potosí. In 1799, a parish was established in Matehuala, although conflicts between Spaniards and indigenous people resurfaced due to fees for newcomers. The mining boom in Real de Catorce led to economic growth in Matehuala. Finally, in 1808, Matehuala was designated a villa, marking a significant historical event.

Government

Municipal presidents

width=120pxTerm width=175pxMunicipal presidentwidth=70pxPolitical partywidth=140pxNotes
1896 Mariano Vázquez López
1939-1940 Octaviano Briones Cortez
1940 Antonio Verástegui Cruz PRM
1940-1943 PRM
1943-1945 Miguel Ángel Santos PRM
1945 Nicolás López Loera PRM
1945-1946 Horacio Medellín Cruz PRM
1946-1949 Roberto Alderete Aguilar PRI
1949-1952 Nicolás Sánchez Pérez PRI
1952-1955 Enrique de la Cruz Zepeda PRI
1955-1958[5] Santiago J. Vivanco Castillo PRI
1958-1961 Jesús Pérez Barba PRI
1961-1964 Antonio Nava Sánchez PRI
1964-1967 Adalberto Tamayo López PRI
1967-1970 Alfonso Dibildox Martínez PRI
1970-1973 Eduardo Rocha Pérez PRI
1973-1976 Tomás Zárate Sánchez PRI
1976-1979 José Mahbub Matta PRI
1979-1982 Antonio Ávila Lomas PRI
1982-1985 José Nava Sánchez PRI
1985-1988 Pascual Gallegos Montalvo PRI
1988-1991 Virgilio Castillo Andrade PRI
1991-1994 Paulino Martínez Carmona PRI
1994-1997 Justo Fernando Torres Rangel
1997-2000 Raymundo García Olivares PRI
2000-2003 Gregorio Antonino Maldonado Vázquez PAN
2003-2006 José Everardo Nava Gómez
2006-2009 Víctor Manuel Mendoza Ramírez PAN
2009-2012 Francisco Javier Hernández Loera
2012 PRI
PVEM
Municipal president-elect. Never in office. Was assassinated on 12 August 2012
2012-2015[6] Héctor Fermín Ávila Lucero PRI
PVEM
Substitute. He was appointed municipal president by the City Council of Matehuala
2015-2018 José Everardo Nava Gómez PRI
PVEM
Panal
2018-2021[7] Roberto Alejandro Segovia Hernández PVEM
Panal
2021-2023[8] [9] Iván Noé Estrada Guzmán

Notable people

Notable buildings

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://citypopulation.de/en/mexico/admin/san_luis_potosi/24020__matehuala/ Citypopulation.de
  2. Mellink . Eric . Riojas-López . Mónica E. . Rivera-Villanueva . José Antonio . 2018-04-02 . Reconsideration of the nomadic condition of the southernmost Guachichiles based on the relationship with their environment . Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine . 14 . 1 . 24 . 10.1186/s13002-018-0223-x . 1746-4269 . 5880072 . 29609628 . free .
  3. Web site: Schmal . John P. . 2004 . Los Antepasados Indígenas de los Guanajuatenses: A Look into Guanajuato's Past .
  4. Web site: Post . The Mexico Daily . 2021-08-08 . Matehuala, where the Guachichiles resisted the Spanish conquest - San Luis Potosi Post . 2023-08-11 . Mexico Daily Post . en-US.
  5. Web site: Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México. Estado de San Luis Potosí. Matehuala. es. 3 August 2021.
  6. Web site: Nombra Cabildo a nuevo alcalde en Matehuala, SLP. es. 1 October 2012. 3 August 2021.
  7. Web site: Consejo Estatal Electoral y de Participación Ciudadana de San Luis Potosí, CEEPACSLP. Acta de cómputo municipal de la elección para el Ayuntamiento de Matehuala, 2018. es. 3 August 2021.
  8. Web site: Consejo Estatal Electoral y de Participación Ciudadana de San Luis Potosí, CEEPACSLP. Acta de cómputo municipal de la elección para el Ayuntamiento de Matehuala, 2021. es. 3 August 2021.
  9. Web site: Resultados Elecciones 2021: Alianza PT-PVEM gana mayoría de municipios en SLP. Matehuala → Iván Noé Estrada Guzmán. es. Alcaldes de México. 16 June 2021. 3 August 2021.