The Carrera Revolt and 'Hybrid Warfare' in Nineteenth-Century Central America by Gilmar Visoni-Alonzo

Author:Gilmar Visoni-Alonzo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

This description is important for several reasons. It provides a sense of the ruggedness of the terrain, the horrible conditions of the road, and the difficulties it presents to both men and animals traversing it. One can imagine the exhaustion felt by the men and, just as they make it to the summit, their disappointment at the realization that they have to perform the same task again and again before reaching the distant plains. The passage also gives us very real sense of the immediacy of danger soldiers confront when crossing a territory infested by guerrilla bands. One can feel the impotence of the soldiers as they see the enemy up close but out of reach; and one can imagine their trepidation as they advance down a narrow defile with the knowledge that the enemy can fall upon their rear at any time. Montgomery’s account gives us a glimpse into what is missing in the succinct dispatches from army commanders or even the memoirs of Carrera; what is missing in these reports is the tremendous physical and psychological challenges that the geographic conditions of Guatemala (and in particular La Montaña) imposed upon the combatants on both sides. Arthur Morelet, a French naturalist visiting Guatemala in 1846, gives an account of a grueling experience as he travelled to Guatemala City from the Mexican state of Campeche, crossing the jungles of Petén, traversing the hills of the Verapaces, and scaling the mountains leading to the Central Plateau where the capital is located. 110 Morelet draws attention not only to the difficulty of the terrain (bad roads, steep mountains, roaring rivers) but also to the sharp change in climate; along his way Morelet experienced torrid jungles, pleasantly temperate valleys, cold mountains, scorching semi-arid plains, and vast plateaus drenched by never-ending rain. The accounts of these travellers give us an idea of the logistical problems facing both armies during the insurrection of Mita; the hardships faced by Montgomery and Morelet could only have been amplified when experienced by large numbers of troops. It must be noted, however, that despite the poor conditions and limited range of the communication system, the distances between the three more densely inhabited regions of the country (Los Altos, the Central Highlands, and La Montaña) were relatively short. In 1811, under normal peaceful conditions, mail from Guatemala City could reach Quetzaltenango (in Los Altos) in 3 days and San Salvador in 4 days. 111 Montgomery’s trip from the Atlantic coast of Guatemala to San Salvador and then to Guatemala City took him 28 days, and that is accounting for brief stays at several places. The area of Mita, where Carrera’s revolt started, was close to the Camino Real and within striking distance of Guatemala City, the approaches to El Salvador and Honduras, and the Verapaces. This strategic location and the geography of the region would play a crucial role in Carrera’s success during the insurrection.

Notes

1.For a concise and thorough account of the War of Latin American Independence see John Lynch (1986), The Spanish American Revolutions.

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