# Difficulties Between Mexico and Guatemala/Principal Events

PRINCIPAL EVENTS AFFECTING THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA.
1821. February 24th.—Plan of Iguala, by which General Iturbide proclaimed the independence of Mexico. 1821. September 3d.—Adhesion of Chiapas to the plan of Iguala, and proclamation of annexation to Mexico. 1821. September 8th.—Oath of independence from Spain taken by authorities of Chiapas. 1821. September 15th.—Guatemala declares her independence from Spain. 1821. September 26th.—Chiapas declares her absolute separation from Guatemala. 1821. September 27th.— Entry of Iturbide into the city of Mexico, and formation of a provisional government. 1821. October 22d.—Chiapas demands of Mexico the recognition of her separation from Guatemala. 1821. November 12th.—The Government of Mexico accepts the annexation of Chiapas. 1822. January 5th.—Guatemala signs an act of union with Mexico. 1822. January 15th.—The regency of Mexico proclaims the perpetual incorporation of Chiapas into the Mexican Empire. 1822. February 4th.—Formal incorporation of Guatemala into the Mexican Empire. 1823. Guatemala separates from Mexico. 1824. May 3d.—Soconusco, lawfully represented in the Supreme Junta of Chiapas, voted freely for her annexation to Mexico. 1824. May 26th.—The congress of Mexico issues an act declaring the liberty of Chiapas to annex herself either to Mexico or Guatemala.
1824. September 12th.—Chiapas, by the free vote of the majority of its inhabitants, solemnly ratified its final incorporation to Mexico, and in the first Mexican constitution was named as part and parcel of the latter republic. 1824. September 12th.—Solemn declaration that Soconusco was included in the province of Chiapas, and united with it to Mexico. 1825. January 25th.—Guatemala proposes with its troops to occupy Tapachula (Soconusco). 1832. Guatemala violates with her troops the territory of Soconusco. 1832. The Mexican Government sends to Guatemala a minister to settle the question of boundaries, but without effect. 1839. Guatemala manifests the intention to include Soconusco in one of her states. 1840. The Alcalde of Tapachula (Soconusco) asks protection from Mexico against Guatemala. 1842. Mexico occupies Soconusco with its troops, in virtue of the solicitations of its inhabitants, of the free vote cast on the 3d of May, 1824, and the declaration of the 12th of September of the same year. 1842. The Guatemalan Government, through the British consul in Guatemala, applies to the English Government for mediation. 1842. October 10th.—The English minister in Mexico, without instructions from his government, inquires of the Mexican Government whether English mediation would be favorably received, and the Government of Mexico answers that there is no need therefor, as Soconusco is clearly a part of the Mexican possessions. 1853. The Mexican Government sends another minister to Guatemala for the settlement of the question of limits, but without success, in consequence of the opposition of Guatemala. 1854. The Guatemalan Government manifests a disposition to renounce its alleged rights to Chiapas and Soconusco, but on condition that Mexico should recognize in its favor the debt of that province; which Mexico declined to do in 1875, alleging that the debt, if any, should be recognized in favor of private creditors and not of the Guatemalan nation. 1873. October 20th.—The Mexican Government declares that it can not enter into any discussion on its right to Chiapas and Soconusco.
1874. May 7th.—Guatemalan Indians destroy Mr. Matias Romero's coffee plantation, situated in Mexican territory. 1875. February.—Residents of Guatemala destroy the boundary-mark called "Pinabete," and build another near Cuilco Viejo. 1877. September 7th.—A convention is concluded in Mexico creating a joint commission of Mexican and Guatemalan engineers, in order to study the dividing line of the two countries on the eastern limit of Soconusco and Chiapas, with which Guatemala implicitly recognized that the rights of Mexico to the state of Chiapas were out of question. 1878. October.—A band, headed by Margarito Barrios, a Guatemalan officer, invades the Mexican territory at the point called "Tonintaná." 1879. December 17th.—Thirty-five filibusters coming from Guatemala attack the Mexican village Tuxtla Chico. 1880. September.—Another band, consisting of forty filibusters from Guatemala, surprise again Tuxtla Chico. 1880. December.—The political chief of San Marcos (a department of Guatemala), at the head of two hundred men, invades Mexico, destroys the Pinabete boundary-mark, erects another one several leagues within Mexican territory, and hoists thereon the Guatemalan flag. 1881. June 16th.—The Secretary of State addresses a note to the American minister in Mexico, saying that the Government of the United States, at the request of Guatemala, offers its mediation on the question of limits. 1881, July 9th.—Conference of the American minister in Mexico with the Mexican Secretary of State on the proposed mediation of the United States. 1881. July 25th.—Memorandum by Mr. Mariscal on said conference.