Guazacapán () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in Santa Rosa Department in south-west Guatemala. Guazacapán is also the name of the municipality in Santa Rosa Department around the town of Guazacapán. The municipality of Guazacapán covers an area of 130 km² with a population of 18,855, according to the 2018 census.

History

The town dates back to

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

times, being in existence prior to the arrival of the Spanish

Conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

es in the 16th century. Guazacapán is known for the supposed

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

that used to be widely practiced by the indigenous people. The last of the great wizards, Pedro Dávila, died in 1974, and the craft is quickly being forgotten. There are still a few people who practice "white magic" in Guazacapán. The Guazacapán area was once inhabited by Xinca, one of Guatemala's indigenous groups. They settled there after the Pipil. Currently, there are efforts being made to teach the ancient Xinca language ( Guazacapán) to the newer generations. There is in the town a rich history, and the people who live there keep that history alive through celebrations that incorporate traditional costume,

marimba The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...

music and folkloric dance.

References

External links

www.muniguazacapan.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guazacapan Municipalities of the Santa Rosa Department, Guatemala