San Pedro Pochutla

San Pedro Pochutla (from Nahuatl: Pochotlah 'pochotl : pochote, ceiba; -tlah: place where it abounds''Place of la ceiba') is a city located in the south of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, head of one of the 570 municipalities that make it up.

It is an important commercial, transportation, and administrative center for the Pochutla district on the eastern coast. Pochutla is located at the junction of federal highway 200 and federal highway 175 to Oaxaca, with highway 175 operating as the main thoroughfare of the city. Its name in the extinct local language, Pochuteco, was Güeuatlán Laguna, and most of the city is built on the bed of a lake that was drained during the viceregal period. The municipality is known for being home to the coastal communities of Puerto Ángel and Zipolite.

History

The Pochutla area was populated by groups of Zapotecs from Amatlán, Miahuatlán and Cuatlán in the 8th century. The settlement now known as Pochutla was founded around the same time as nearby Loxicha, Cozoaltepec, and others. Historically, Pochutla never became part of the Aztec Empire, as the area was part of the Mixtec domain of Tututepec. At the time of the Spanish conquest, the Spanish town of Pochutla was founded by Pedro Molina, Isidro Salinas, Julio Díaz, and others. initially with the name of Huehuetán.

Locals converted to Christianity and the first church was founded south of the modern city and was named San Pedro Huehuetán Laguna. Much of the modern city is built on what was once a lake bed. Due to diseases like malaria and yellow fever, this lake was drained. Later in the viceregal period, the name was changed to Pochutla due to the number of ceiba trees in the area.

According to tradition and archaeological evidence located on the hills of Vigía, Espino and El Cometa, in the city there were weapons hidden by pirates, whom they called "pichilingües".

In 1833, conservative rebels led by General Valentín Canalizo fled through here while being pursued by government troops. Their last battle was at nearby Rancho Soledad where they were destroyed by federal forces, forcing the remaining soldiers to scatter.

Conservative rebels continued to be active in this region until the 1860s with José Eustaquio Manzano and Apolonio Manzano leading the rebel cause, revitalized by the passage of the Reform Laws. In 1858 and 1859, federal forces were sent here to subdue rebels who had launched guerrilla warfare. The last battle between the Manzano brothers and federal troops took place in 1860, and the brothers were captured and taken to the state capital in 1861. The municipality has an oil reserve called Aragón, five kilometers from the community of Puerto Ángel. The deposit was going to be exploited by an English company, which brought equipment in 1937, but the expropriation of the oil in 1938 by President Lázaro Cárdenas stopped it. It has not been used yet.

Until the end of the XX century, a large part of the population in the area lived on subsistence agriculture, the only job available during the harvest season on the coffee plantations. In the 1970s, the state government expropriated most of the coastal land from Zipolite to Zapotengo and converted it into an ejido or communal land with the aim of developing it. In 2003, the city was granted the title of city. municipal head, of the same name.

During the 2006 teachers' strike in the state of Oaxaca, groups supporting and opposing the strike clashed on federal highway 175. The highway was blocked by strike supporters to prevent opponents from she will carry out her “March for Education”. This was blocked with buses and cars that prevented the exit of those who were going to the state capital.

Other recent strikes include those by taxi drivers and other people in transport who have blocked roads, resulting in monetary losses for the municipality. The dispute centered on concessions for passenger transport between Pochutla and beach communities like Zipolite. The strikers' actions have included blocking roads, including Coastal Highway 200.

Languages

Until the XX century, the local language was the Pochuteco language, an extinct language closely related to Nahuatl, which received Linguistic influence of Chatino.

Government

In recent years there has been alternation in government between the two most important political forces in the region, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD).

Economy

The economically active population is mainly engaged in commerce and tourism services, and to a lesser extent in construction, agriculture, and education. It is also governed by the system of uses and customs

Traditional gastronomy is made up of tamales, especially iguana and chepil tamales, cocadas, nicuatole, different varieties of coconut and butter toast, different varieties of Mexican food made from seafood, as well as pot coffee, this because of its proximity to one of the most important coffee-growing areas of the state.

Tourism

It has very important tourist places for the city, the beaches and attractions are impressive, places, viewpoints and others. It has a Botanical Garden shortly before reaching the town of Chepilme. Approximately 40 minutes away is the "Mexican Turtle Center" in Mazunte, Tonameca.

Twinnings

The city of San Pedro Pochutla has Twinning with 8 cities around the world: