About Tuxtla Gutiérrez

History tells us that Tuxtla Gutierrez, the actual capital of the southern state of Chiapas, was never formally constituted as a colonial city. The arrival of the Spanish to this territory in the XVI century was concentrated in the area of the villa de Santo Domingo de Guzman de Chiapa de Indios, today a county by the name Chiapa de Corzo.

In the VI century, the first settlers, the zoques, arrived to Tuxtla lands. These prehispanic tribes were dedicated to cultivating grains, and hunting rabbits. They were distinguished for their art and elaboration of delicate silk clothing.

The catholic missionaries arrived to evangelize and organize the zoques tribe, and they quickly adopted the European systems. They were 70% of the population during the conquista period. In the year 1813, the king of Spain Fernando VII gave several cities, among them San Maros Evangelista Tuchtla, the title of villa. A little after the end of the Mexican independent war, on September 4th, 1821, the inhabitants of the villa decided to declare their independence and adhere to the government of the Mexican emperor, Agustin de Iturbide.

Its geographical and economic importance, like the route to Oaxaca, Tabasco, Campeche, and the neighboring Central American country of Guatemala, encouraged the development of the other indigenous villas. In 1848, the governor, Nicolas Ruiz Maldonado, changed the name of the city to Tuxtla Gutierrez in honor of Joaquin Miguel Gutierrez who died 10 years earlier, killed by the men of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna in defense of Mexico’s federalism.

During the beginnings of the free life of the country, the powers of the state were disputed by Tuxtla and San Cristobal de las Casas numerous times, until summer of 1892, when the governor of the entity at that time, Emilio Rabasa, declared for the last time, Tuxtla Gutierrez as the capital of the state of Chiapas.

In 1826 the first public school was inaugurated and in 1910 the Chiapas Public Library was founded. The first radio station began its transmissions through its facilities in Tuxtla in 1943. It was in 1972 that the Institute of Technology of Tuxtla Gutierrez opened its doors for the first time. Three years later, the University of Chiapas UNACH was inaugurated.

Currently, this capital is the most urbanized and populated in the state, due to the economic commercial development.

Tuxtla, same as a great part of the entity has abundant and green tropical vegetation that gives life and color to this city. The climate, influenced by the development of the infrastructure of the city, is hot and humid.

Sources:
H. IX Ayuntamiento de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, en http://www.tuxtla.gob.mx