Huitzilac is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of

Morelos Morelos, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos, is a landlocked state located in south-central Mexico. It is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Mun ...

. It stands at 19°01′42″N 99°16′02″W and at an altitude of 2,561 m (8,402 ft) above sea level. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. With a 2020 census population of 5,347 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city (locality) in the municipality, after the town of Tres Marías. The municipality reported 24,515 inhabitants in the 2020 census. The name is a Spanish-language adaptation of a

Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...

toponym meaning "in the water of the humming-birds".

The municipality

The municipality is one of 17 municipalities that border Mexico City. It borders the capital city's southside boroughs of

Milpa Alta Milpa Alta is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City. It lies in the southeast corner of the nation's capital, bordering the State of Mexico and Morelos. It is the least populated, second largest and most ...

and

Tlalpan Tlalpan ( , 'place on the earth') is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City. It is the largest borough, with over 80% under conservation as forest and other ecologically sensitive area. The rest, almost al ...

. Ulises Pardo Bastida of ''Juntos Haremos Historia'' (Together we will make history coalition) was elected

municipal president A ''presidente municipal'' ( English: "municipal president") is the chief of government of municipios in Mexico. This title was also used in the Philippines during the Spanish and American colonial periods; it is comparable to a mayor of the tow ...

(mayor) in the election of July 1, 2018.

Towns and villages

The largest localities (cities, towns, and villages) are:

History

During the Prehispanic era, Huitzilac was a part of the domain of Cuahanahuac (Cuernavaca). After the Conquest (1521), it became a part of the ''Marquesado del Valle de Oaxaca.'' The town was an important stagecoach stop on the route from Mexico City to Cuernavaca, but this changed with the construction of the railroad in 1897
huitzilac (Dec 14, 2018)
During the Revolution, General

Genovevo de la O Genovevo de la O (January 3, 1876 – June 12, 1952) was an important figure in the Mexican Revolution in Morelos. He was born in Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Morelos,Genovevo de la O accessed Dec 28, 2018 to sharecropper parents. He was ...

fought against the government. Huitizlac was burned in April 1912, and de la O was able to mobilize 4,000 men plus artillery to join in the fight to liberate Cuernavaca. Thanks to the popularity of the ''Ejército Libertador del Sur'' in this region, Huitizalc and Santa María Ahuacatitlán were able to forget their old rivalries. Iron crosses have been erected at Km 47 of the federal Mexico City-Cuernavaca highway to commemorate Francisco R. Serrano and his associates, Daniel and Miguel A. Peralta, Carlos Ariza, Carlos Vidal, Rafael Martínez de Escobar, Cecilio González, Enrique Monteverde, Alonso Capetillo Robles, Augusto Peña, Antonio Jáuregui, José Valle Arce, Octavio Almada, and Ernesto Noriega Méndez. On October 3, 1927, Serrano (a candidate for president) and his men were assassinated on the orders of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Álvaro Obregón Álvaro Obregón Salido (; 19 February 1880 – 17 July 1928) was a Mexican general, inventor and politician who served as the 46th President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. Obregón was re-elected to the presidency in 1928 but was assassinated b ...

. Martín Luis Guzman describes the incident in his novel, ''La sombra del caudillo.'' On June 18,

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, twelve

Federal Police A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...

agents were sentenced to 34 years of prison for the August 24,

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

murder of two

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

agents in Tres Marías. As of May 4, 2020, there were 505 infections and 59 deaths in the state of Morelos and four confirmed infections from the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in Huitzilac. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. On June 2, Huitzilac reported eleven confirmed cases and three deaths from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Toxic medical waste was found at Km 49 of the

Mexican Federal Highway 95D Federal Highway 95D is a toll highway connecting Mexico City to Acapulco, Guerrero. Highway 95D is among the most important toll roads in the country, serving as a backbone for traffic out of Mexico City toward Morelos and tourist destinations in ...

near the monument to Josė María Morelos y Pavón in Tres Marias; four toll collectors who work for Federal Roads and Bridges and Related Services, (CAPUFE) in Morelos have died from the coronavirus. Huitzilac reported 30 cases, 24 recuperations, and six deaths from the virus as of August 31. Sixty-four cases were reported on December 27, 2020.

Tourist Attractions

*''Tres Marías'' (Three Marys mountain) and its restaurants. The town is also a popular meeting point for motorcyclists, especially on weekends. * Chichinautzin Biological Corridor. The Ajusco Chichinautzin Biological Corridor is a protected natural area with a remarkable diversity of habitats and species due to its privileged geographic and climatic conditions. In the Chichinautzin Corridor there are 315 species of fungi (more than 80 edible), 10 species of amphibians, 43 species of reptiles, 1,348 species of insects and spiders, 237 of birds (36 exclusive to this region), 5 species of fish, 785 of plants, and 7 types of vegetation in addition to forests of pine, oyamel and oak. The corridor includes the second and third highest peaks in Morelos:

Sierra Chichinautzin The Sierra Chichinautzin volcanic field, also known as ''El Pedegral'', is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, approximately from where the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate.Lagunas de Zempoala National Park. Visitors can fly kites, hike, camp, and ride horses. *''Food'': ''Barbacoa'' (barbecue mutton) and

pulque Pulque (; ), occasionally known as octli or agave wine, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, ...

(a beer-like drink made from fermented mezcal). *''Iglesia de San Juan Bautista'' (Church of St. John the Baptist), built 1623. There are two festivals: June 24 and September 1. *''La Pera'' lookout on the Mexico City-Cuernavaca tollway. *''Handicrafts'': wooden furniture *''Los Columpios'' (The swings). Visitors of all ages will enjoy the day on the rope swings in this park. Picnicking and camping allowed. You can rent ARVs or go on a zip-line. Restaurant and convenience store. *Monument to

José María Morelos José María Teclo Morelos Pérez y Pavón () (30 September 1765 – 22 December 1815) was a Mexican Priesthood in the Catholic Church, Catholic priest, statesman and military leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming it ...

. This monument to the Hero of Independence for whom the state is named is located at Km 46.9 of the Mexico City-Cuernavaca highway, which opened in 1952. The original 7-meter stone statue was designed by Everardo Hernández in 1954, but this was demolished and replaced with a bronze statue by Ernesto Tamariz, Artemio Silva, and Eduardo Tamariz in 1986. The statue was severely vandalized in December 2012.

Culture

The most important festival in Huitzilac is celebrated on March 19, in honor of the town's patron saint, San José. An image of St. Joseph disappeared from the church during the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

and was recovered on September 1, 1921, so there is a festival to remember this event. There are also celebrations during

Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...

(March or April) and in honor of

Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe (), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (), is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with four Marian apparitions to Juan Diego and one to his uncle, Juan Bernardino reported in December 1531, when t ...

on December 12. The

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

is celebrated in ''Fierro del Toro'' on January 1. San Buen Aventura is celebrated on July 15 in Coajomulco. St. Joseph is also honored in ''Tres Marias'' on March 19.

Traditions

Pulque Pulque (; ), occasionally known as octli or agave wine, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, ...

and cured fruit drinks are prepared in the area. Local craftsmen make wooden furniture.

Chinelos Chinelos are a kind of traditional costumed dancer which is popular in the Mexican state of Morelos, parts of the State of Mexico and the Federal District of Mexico City, especially the boroughs of Milpa Alta, Tlalpan, Xochimilco and Magdalena Co ...

dance at local festivals.

Geography

morelos.gob/huitzilac
Huitzilac has an area of 190 km² (73 miles²), which represents 3.84% of the territory in the state. The average altitude is 2,500 m (8,200 ft.) above sea level.http://morelos.gob.mx/?q=huitzilac (Dec 15, 2018)

Climate

The municipality has a subtropical humid climate with a well-defined winter. The average annual temperature is 12 °C (53.6 °F) and the average annual precipitation is 1,358 mm (53.4").

Terrain

There are many mountain peaks in the area, 2,250 or more meters above sea level. *Volcán Ocotecatl, 19°05'N 99°02'W, 3,480 m *

Sierra Chichinautzin The Sierra Chichinautzin volcanic field, also known as ''El Pedegral'', is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, approximately from where the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate.Relieve del Estado de Morelos
accessed May 9, 2020 *Volcán Chalchihuites: 3,440 m *Cerro de Tres Marías: 3,280 m (10,761 ft.) *Volcán Cuespalapa, Tres Marias: 3,270 m *Cerros de Tepeyahualco, Tuxtepec: both over 3,250 m (10,663 ft.) *Cerro de la Manteca: 3,200 m (10,500 ft.) *Cerro de Tezoyo: 3,180 m *Cerros de Zacolocohaya, del Mirador, de Piedra Quila, de Zempoala, de Ojo de Arezacapa: all over 3,000 m (9,840 ft.)

Lakes & Rivers

The Lakes of Zempoala and several intermittent stream
Exploring Mexico: Zempoala

Soil

;Land use: *3,035 ha (7,500 acres) for agriculture *3,051 ha (7,539 acres) for fishing *7,002 ha (17,302 acres) for forest ;Land distribution: *440 ha (1,087 acres)

ejidos An ''ejido'' (, from Latin ''exitum'') is an area of communal land used for Agriculture in Mexico, agriculture in which community members have usufruct rights, which in Mexico is not held by the Mexican state. People awarded ejidos in the moder ...

*19,388 ha (47,909 acres) communal property *9,693 ha (23,952 acres) private land

Flora & Fauna

The flora consists mostly of oak and pine forests. The fauna includes white-tail deer, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, volcano rats, mountain lions, quail, mountain hens, woodpeckers, blue magpies, goldfinches, rattlesnakes, garter snakes, frogs, and lizards. Trout live in the streams.

External links

Hutizilac municipal government website
Accessed 31 October 2008.

''Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México,''

INAFED The Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal (''National Institute for Federalism and Municipal Development'', better known by the acronym INAFED) is a decentralised agency of the Mexican federal government. It has respon ...

. Accessed 31 October 2008.
Photos and Information

References

{{Morelos Municipalities of Morelos Populated places in Morelos Nahua settlements