Donato Guerra is one of 125

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

State of Mexico The State of Mexico, officially just Mexico, is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Colloquially known as Edomex (from , the abbreviation of , and ), to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is the mo ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. It's municipal seat is the town of Villa Donato Guerra, which is the 13th largest town in the municipality of Donato Guerra. The area is also known as Malacatepec (meaning 'hill in the shape of a spindle) and La Asunción Malacatepec. (Villa) Donato Guerra is located in the western part of the

. In the region that is identified with

Valle de Bravo Valle de Bravo () is one of 125 Municipalities of Mexico, municipalities in the State of Mexico, Mexico. The largest town and municipal seat is the town of Valle de Bravo. It is located on the shore of Lake Avándaro, approximately 156 km ( ...

. The town was named in 1880 in honor of

Donato Guerra General Donato Guerra (1832–1876) was the leader of the Mexican Army during the time of La Reforma. Born in Jalisco, he participated in the Reform War and in the French intervention. He joined the Plan de la Noria and Tuxtepec. Guerra was ...

, a distinguished soldier of the War of

La Reforma In History of Mexico, the history of Mexico, (from Spanish language, Spanish: "The Reform"), or reform laws, refers to a pivotal set of laws, including a Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857, new constitution, that were ...

. It is located around 77 kilometers from

Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...

which is the capital of the state, on Federal Highway number 35

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

- Zitácuaro.

The town

Villa Donato Guerra lies at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. The area was Mazahua territory until between 1474 and 1477 when it came under

Mexica The Mexica (Nahuatl: ; singular ) are a Nahuatl-speaking people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of the Triple Alliance, more commonly referred to as the Aztec Empire. The Mexica established Tenochtitlan, a settlement on an island ...

domination. It remain mostly populated by Mexicas until 1604.

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friars constructed the Parish of Asuncion Malacatepec around 1550. As late as 1727, the town still had a commissioner of the

Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition () was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile and lasted until 1834. It began toward the end of ...

, naming lawyer Jose Bernal and Mendoza in that year. In 1770, a land and natural resources dispute arose between the towns of La Asunción Malacatepec and San Lucas Texcaltitlán, versus the owners of the haciendas of La Asunción, San Felipe Neri, Joloxtoc, and Endo. The town was formally recognized as an

ayuntamiento ''Ayuntamiento'' ()In other languages of Spain: * (). * (). * (). is the general term for the town council, or ''cabildo'', of a municipality or, sometimes, as is often the case in Spain and Latin America, for the municipality itself. is mai ...

in 1826 by the State of Mexico. In the 2005 census, the village had only 921 people. Villa Donato Guerra’s churches are St Martin Bishop, San Simon de la Laguna, San Francisco Mihualtepec, San Miguel Xooltepec and San Juan Xoconusco. The ruins of the Hacienda la Asuncion and Hacienda El Molino San Felipe Neri are examples of colonial constructions and are preserved as historical monuments.

The municipality

The municipality of Donato Guerra has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: Cabecera de Indígenas, Primer y Segundo Cuartel, San Martín, San Antonio Hidalgo, Batán Chico, Batán Grande, Mesas Altas de Xoconusco, El Capulín, Llano Redondo, Macheros, Barrio de Arriba, La Fundición, San José Tilostóc, Galeras, Ranchería de Santiago Huitlapaltepec, San Agustín de las Palmas, San Lucas Texcaltitlán, Santiago Huitlapaltepec, San Juan Xoconusco, San Martín Obispo, San Antonio de la Laguna, San Simón de la Laguna, San Francisco Mihualtepec, San Miguel Xooltepec.

History

In 1569, the region of Malacatepec, is recognized as separate from Almoloya de Juarez. On April 8, 1604, Marques de Montesclaros by mandate of Pedro de Campos, signs the agreement that divides to the region of Malacatepec in two congregations, Asuncion Malacatepec and San José. On October 30, 1810, the Battle of Monte de las Cruces took place with what is now the current municipality, where the forces of General Miguel Hidalgo triumphed. A number of Mazahuas took part in this battle as well with distinction. The current municipality is officially formed in 1870.

Natural geography

Donato Guerra is located in the region known as Sierra Mil Cumbres, with the peaks of this mountain area reaching 3,040 meters above sea level. At its southern border, begins tropical terrain. 45.29% of the territory is covered by forests. The main kinds of trees are pine, cedar,

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

, ash, weeping willow, and

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

. These trees can be used to obtain wood. Trees that give fruit are:

avocado The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...

, chirimoya,

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

, capulín, tejocote etc. There are also some plants that can be used for medicinal purposes such as:

epazote ''Dysphania ambrosioides'', formerly ''Chenopodium ambrosioides'', known as epazote, Jesuit's tea, Mexican tea or wormseed, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb native to the Americas. Description ''Dysphania ambrosioides'' is an annual p ...

chamomile Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) ( or ) is the common name for several plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, '' Matricaria chamomilla'' and '' Chamaemelum nobile'', are commo ...

, yerba buena, wormwood,

arnica ''Arnica'' is a genus of perennial plant, perennial, herbaceous plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The genus name ''Arnica'' may be derived from the Greek language, Greek ''wikt:arni, arni'', "lamb", in reference to the plants' soft, h ...

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

clover Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest diversit ...

, papalo, pig weed, and

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

. The main mammals that can be found are rabbits, coyotes, zool deers, zool hares, squirrels, rats, tlacuaches, cacomixtles, dogs, horses, cows, and pigs. Avian life is constituted by huilotas, carpenter birds, owls, buzzards, falcons, orn ravens, and pigeons. Reptiles such as snakes (of various species), scorpions,

iguanas ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described by Austrian naturalist J.N. Laurenti in 1768. Two species are plac ...

and lizards are found as well.

Population

In 1950, Donato Guerra had 10,514 inhabitants. 30 years later, in 1980, it had grown to only 13,671. However, the population census of 1990 registered 21,510 inhabitants. and in the last census in 2005 the total population for the municipality was 29,621. 74.05% live in rural areas and 25.95% live in urban areas.

Economy

Since most people live in the rural areas, agriculture, both the raising of crops and livestock is the principal economic activity, with 9,016 hectares are devoted to the agricultural use. Principal livestock are cows, pigs, sheep, horses, hens, turkeys, beehives and rabbits. However, some industry exists in small factories, family workshops and craft cooperatives, clothes, shoes and bakeries.

Chronology of the municipal presidents

Name Period Politic partid * Wenceslao Sáenz 1913 * Prospero María Yereno 1914-1916 * Wilebaldo Gómez 1917 * Pablo Reyes 1918 * Dario Reyes Barcenas 1919 * Antonio Usandizaga 1920 * José María Cambrón PML 1920 * Jorge Sánchez 1921 * Alberto Usandizaga PML 1921 * Jesús G. Avila 1922 * Antonio Usandizaga 1923 * Alberto Usandizaga 1924 * Anastacio R. Mendieta 1925 * José Félix Pliego 1926 * Guillermo Mendieta 1927 * Agustín Albarrán Fonseca 1928-1929 PNR * Germán Reyes 1er. Regidor PML 1929 PNR * Pedro Chamorro Mercado 1930-1931 PNR * José García Argüello 1932-1933 PNR * Agustín Albarrán Fonseca 1934-1935 PNR * Armando Reyes J. 1936-1937 PNR * Juan B. Bautista 1938-1939 PRM * Jesús Mendieta 1er. Regidor PML 1939 PRM * Manuel Reyes Muñoz 1940-1941 PRM * José Mendieta Quintana 1942-1943 PRM * José García Argüello 1944-1945 PRM * Marcial Villegas Moreno 1946-1948 PRI * Roberto Reyes Salguero PML 1948 PRI * Jesús G. Avila 1949-1951 PRI * Agustín Albarrán Fonseca 1952-1954 PRI * Marcial Villegas Moreno (suplente) 1952-1954 PRI * Lázaro Arriaga Escobar 1955-1957 PRI * Agustín Albarrán Reyes 1958-1960 PRI * Fidel Reyes Muñoz 1961-1963 PRI * Roberto Reyes Salguero 1964-1966 PRI * Agustín Albarrán Salguero 1967-1969 PRI * Fernando Cuéllar Sánchez 1970-1972 PRI * Arnulfo Villegas Jaramillo 1973-1975 PRI * Santiago Avila Villegas 1976-1978 PRI * Silvestre Torres Longares 1979-1981 PRI * Prof. Elías Arzate Archunda 1982-1984 PRI * Ing. Antelmo Mendieta Velázquez 1985-1987 PRI * Arq. Héctor Jaime Sánchez García 1988-1990 PRI * Germán Reyes García 1991-1993 PRI * Ing. Lázaro Reyes González 1994-1996 PRI * Arq. Jacobo Hernández Marín 1997-1998 PRI * Prof. Ricardo Cruz Nieto PML 1998 PRI * Prof. Mauro Noé Cuéllar Hernández 1998-2000 PRI * Anselmo Vega Chico 2000-2003 PRI * Tomás Octaviano Félix 2003-2006 PRD * Arturo Piña García 2006-2009 PRD

Ethnic groups

The Mazahuas were the first group to inhabit the region of Malacatepec. In communities such as San Martín Bishop, San Simón de la Laguna, San Antonio de la Laguna, San Francisco Mihualtepec, San Juan Soconusco, San Miguel Xooltepec and Santiago Huitlapaltepec, indigenous language, food, customs and ethnicity are still preserved. Approximately 10.224 people speak Mazahua.

Education

In Donato Guerra, there are 36 kindergartens, 38 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 high school, and there are 284 teachers that attend these schools. However, there are 5,728 inhabitants that have not received any schooling, of which 1,613 are children and 4,115 are adults.

References

{{Mexico State Populated places in the State of Mexico 1861 establishments in Mexico Municipalities of the State of Mexico