page_title: Villa Nueva, Guatemala
section_title: Amatitlán Department creation
hierarchical_section_title: Villa Nueva, Guatemala / History / Amatitlán Department creation
caption_attribution_description: Mariano Rivera Paz, Primer Presidente de Guatemala
context_page_description: Villa Nueva is a City in the Guatemala department of Guatemala. The city centre of Villa Nueva at Villa Nueva Central Park is located 16 kilometres south of Guatemala City. The city has a population of 433,734, making it the third largest in Guatemala Department, after Guatemala City and Mixco. It was founded on 17 April 1763, long before Guatemala declared its independence from the Spanish Empire.
  The local economy largely depends on industry, with the municipality having some 25 factories that produce such products as textiles, metallurgical goods, and plastics. The area's agricultural products include rice, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.
  Mayor Salvador Gándara, serving from 2000 to 2011, was longlisted for the 2008 World Mayor award; Sites of interest include the Naciones Unidas National Park. and several malls, like Metrocentro and Santa Clara.
context_section_description: During governor Mariano Rivera Paz' time in office, a decree was issued on 6 November 1839 declaring Amatitlán and independent district, which also included Palín and Villa Nueva. The decree says: 
  "The city of Amatitlán, San Cristóbal Palín, Villa Nueva, San Miguel and Santa Inés Petapa and all the annexed locations to these settlements will form an independent district for its political government and will be under the charge of a Lieutenant Corregidor, who will act according to the applicable law starting on 2 October of this year and will earn a thousand pesos a year".
  "In the same district there will be a local court to impart justice".
  The district changed its name to Amatitlán Department according to the executive order of 8 May 1866 of field Marshall Vicente Cerna y Cerna government.
caption: Portrait of Mariano Rivera Paz.  Rivera Paz was governor of the State of Guatemala when he declared Amatitlán an independent district in 1839.
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