Atlacomulco
Encyclopedia
Atlacomulco is a city and municipality
located in the northwest of the State of Mexico in central Mexico, 63 km from the state capital of Toluca
. The name is derived from the Nahuatl
phrase "atlacomulli" which means "where there are wells." The city, with a population of 20,477 is surrounded by rural area in which 75% of the rest of the municipality lives. The municipality has a sizable percentage of indigenous language speakers, mostly Mazahua
. The Mazahua name for the area is Embaró, which means "colored rock." Agriculture is still the main economic activity, but the development of a number of industrial parks, such as Atlacomulco 2000, which allowed the seat to reach city statues by 1987. Atlacomulco is also the origin of a political group called "Grupo Atlacomulco" made up of powerful political figures, who do not affirm that it exists.
during the reign of Tezozomoc, calling it the province of Mazahuacan. Later, it came under the control of Tlacopan
or Tacuba. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Atlacomulco became the encomendero of Francisco de Villegas in 1535. In 1537, the regent of Ixtlahuaca
took possession of the area, and relocated Spanish families here to settle. The municipality remained quiet through the rest of the colonial period and during the various wars of the 19th century. The only events of note were the passing of the armies of Miguel Hidalgo and Ignacio López Rayón
on the edges of the municipality during the Mexican War of Independence
.
Atlacomulco officially became a municipality in 1824. During the very late 19th century and early 20th century, Atlacomulco was dominated by a number of large haciendas which include the Toshi Hacienda and the El Salto Hacienda.
In 1915, during the Mexican Revolution
, Lucio Blanco
occupied the city of Atlacomulco with his groups while on his way to the Bajío
region. He is known here for sacking almost all of the municipality’s grain, as well as printing money which was circulated in the north of Mexico. During this time period, the municipality’s most famous resident, Isidro Fabela Alfaro was active as a politician and writer.
During the first half of the 20th century, most of the educational institutions here were established. In 1951, the village gained town status and in 1987, it was declared a city.
style. In the cupola, there is a painting of the Virgin Mary during the Assumption
. In front of the church is the Plaza Arturo Velez Martinez. This church is the seat of the diocese of Atlacomulco. The diocese was established in 1984 by decree of John Paul II, naming Ricardo Guízar Díaz as the first bishop. The current bishop is Constancio Mirada. The Sanctuary of the Señor del Huerto is in Neoclassical
style built in the 19th century. It contains three oils that depict the resurrection of Jesus, his flogging and being kissed by Judas
. Another notable temple is dedicated to Francis of Assisi
and was built in 1984.
Public buildings include the municipal palace, (1945), the Venustiano Carranza Sports Center (1944), the Teatro del Pueblo (People’s Theater) (1945), the Lienzo Charro
Nicolas Gonzalez Fabela (1951) and the Isidro Fabela Cultural Center, which was built in the 19th century but was remodeled in 1969. In this center there are artistic and cultural workshops.
The main festival for the year is the Festival of the Señor del Huerto (Lord of the Grove). This festival contains both Christian and pagan elements, and takes place on the third week of September. This festival has processions, dances, amusement rides and fireworks. Traditional dances that are performed include Las Pastoras, Los Santiagueros, Los Vaquero and Los Arcos. Processions are accompanied by musicians playing violins, chirimias and drums. The Señor del Huerto is an image of Jesus that was supposedly found with an elderly man who had wandered from his home. The man was found dead sometime after he was noticed missing, but the body was perfectly preserved. This was the first miracle attributed to the image.
Like much of the State of Mexico, the cuisine here includes barbacoa
and carnitas
. One dish that is local is called ensalada de juanes, (juanes salad) which combins nopal
s, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado
, pork rinds, cheese and watercress
. Pulque
is popular here as well.
The city has several notable schools. The oldest of this is the Escuela Normal de Atlacomulco . This is a teachers’ college, which prepares teachers for students from kindergarten through high school (preparatory). The college offers both bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees. Universidad TecMilenio is a university that offers degrees in engineering, business and information technology, as well as masters in information technology. Nationwide private university system ITESM has a preparatory school here, which was founded in 1997. This campus is a subsidiary of Campus Toluca
.
In 1979, an industrial zone was created as part of a project called Atlacomulco 2000. Incentives have been given by the state and municipal governments since then to attract investors. It is now one of the largest employers and distribution hubs in northern State of Mexico. Industries located here produce chemical products, electrical devices, textiles, clothing, pharmaceuticals and wood products.
dominating. The municipality borders the municipalities of Acambay
, Temascalcingo
, San Andrés Timilpan
, San Bartolo Morelos
and El Oro.
The municipality has rugged terrain, filled with mountains and hills. It is located on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
, in the Lakes and Volcanos of Anáhuac region. Principle elevations include Cerro Xitije, Cerro Atlacomulco, Cerro La Cruz and Cerro El Cielito. Its altitude varies from 2720 to 3030 meters above sea level. It is part of the Lerma River
basin which crosses the territory, as well as a number of streams and fresh-water springs. There three dams in the area, with the main one being J. Trinidad Fabela. Its climate is fairly moist with most rain falling between June and September. Average high temperatures is 19.9C and average low is 7.4C.
Most of the vegetation is mixed- and conifer forests, covering about 20% of the municipality. The most common trees include cedars
, holm oak
s, eucalyptus
, ash, strawberry trees, pines, oaks and weeping willows. Wild animals include small and medium-sized mammals such as squirrels, rabbits and foxes as well as reptiles such as chameleon
s, rattlesnake
s and various small lizards. The northern part of the municipality near the Cerro de Jocotitlán is now a natural reserve where logging is prohibited and reforestation is underway. It is also a state park called the Isidro Fabela State Natural Park.
Near the community of El Salto is the José Trinidad Fabela dam. In the middle of the lake created by the dam is the Isla de las Aves or Island of the Birds. This island is an ecological sanctuary for migratory birds and contains an aviary. Some of the birds kept and bred here are doves, guinea hens, peacocks and storks. Cabin rentals are available for visitors.
Most of the municipality outside the city proper is dedicated to agriculture. Over 90% of what is grown is corn. Other crops include wheat, oats, barley
and beans. Livestock is divided mostly among cattle, sheep and domestic fowl. Most of the crops and livestock are produced for auto-consumption. One notable exception is the flower growing region around the locality of San Lorenzo Tlacotepec, which ships fresh flowers to states such as Nuevo León
, Coahuila
and Tamaulipas
. Agriculture employs about one quarter of the population and another quarter is employed by industries. The other half are employed in commerce, tourism and services.
(PRI). This group has been based in Atlacomulco and very influential in the politics of Mexico State and the federal government. However, the most influential people linked to the group, such as Isidro Fabela, Carlos Hank González
and Arturo Montiel
have denied its existence or refused to confirm its existence.The group was considered to be one of the pillars of the PRI.
The group has its origins with the political connections of Maximo Montiel Olmos in Atlacomulco, the grand-uncle of Arturo Montiel, to people such as Rosendo Monroy Cruz, Lucindo Cárdenas, Rafael Suárez Ocaña and Silviano Díaz Cid. However, the group as a widespread political force was established by Isidro Fabela. Fabela was governor of the State of Mexico from 1942 to 1945, during which time he started an educational movement which culminated in the Insitituto Cientifico Literario, today the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
. He also founded several newspapers and was one of the founding members of the Ateneo de la Juventud
.
The group has operated mostly to get its members into high government positions in both the state and federal governments. Fabela was instrumental in the political rise of Salvador Sánchez Colín, Alfredo del Mazo Vélez and Carlos Hank González from the 1950s to the 1970s. The name "Grupo Atlacomulco, come from local newspaper reports who began to discuss the "men from Atlacomulco" who were beginning to dominate state and federal political posts.
At one point in the 20th century, the group had members in various state governments in central Mexico and occupied key positions in the federal government. In the State of Mexico, it is estimated that 80% of government posts were held by members. Their influence even had one of their members nominated to become the first bishop of Toluca in the 1950s. However, with the waning of the PRI starting in the 1980s, the influence of the group began to diminish as well. With the death of Hank in 2001, the group is now said to be leaderless, even though it is still cited to be a strong force in politics and even to have connections to drug trafficking.
The Coordinator of Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council
, Santiago Corcuera, has accused Grupo Atlacomulco of working against human rights in Mexico. He states this has been done by arguing the downsides of implementing human rights guarantees as applied to groups such as criminals and women.
The current governor of the State of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto
, is rumored to be associated with the group due to this strong political ties with Arturo Montiel. Arturo Montiel was a candidate for the PRI presidential nomination in 1999, but lost due to scandal. He is considered to be the most important person in the group today.
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
located in the northwest of the State of Mexico in central Mexico, 63 km from the state capital of Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
. The name is derived from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
phrase "atlacomulli" which means "where there are wells." The city, with a population of 20,477 is surrounded by rural area in which 75% of the rest of the municipality lives. The municipality has a sizable percentage of indigenous language speakers, mostly Mazahua
Mazahua
The Mazahua are an indigenous people of Mexico, inhabiting the northwestern portion of the State of Mexico and northeastern area of Michoacán, with a presence also in the Federal District owing to recent migration...
. The Mazahua name for the area is Embaró, which means "colored rock." Agriculture is still the main economic activity, but the development of a number of industrial parks, such as Atlacomulco 2000, which allowed the seat to reach city statues by 1987. Atlacomulco is also the origin of a political group called "Grupo Atlacomulco" made up of powerful political figures, who do not affirm that it exists.
History
The area was originally settled by the Mazahuas but the date of their arrival is not known. This area eventually came under the control of AzcapotzalcoAzcapotzalco (altepetl)
Azcapotzalco was a pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl , capital of the Tepanec empire, in the Valley of Mexico, on the western shore of Lake Texcoco.The name Azcapotzalco means "at the anthill" in Nahuatl...
during the reign of Tezozomoc, calling it the province of Mazahuacan. Later, it came under the control of Tlacopan
Tlacopan
Tlacopan , also called Tacuba, was a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city-state situated on the western shore of Lake Texcoco.Founded by Tlacomatzin, Tlacopan was a Tepanec kingdom subordinate to nearby Azcapotzalco...
or Tacuba. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Atlacomulco became the encomendero of Francisco de Villegas in 1535. In 1537, the regent of Ixtlahuaca
Ixtlahuaca de Rayón
Ixtlahuaca de Rayón is a city and municipality north of Toluca in the northwest part of the State of Mexico, in Mexico. The distance between Mexico City and Ixtlahuaca is 32 km. The name Ixthahuaca comes from Náhuatl and means plains without trees...
took possession of the area, and relocated Spanish families here to settle. The municipality remained quiet through the rest of the colonial period and during the various wars of the 19th century. The only events of note were the passing of the armies of Miguel Hidalgo and Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón
Ignacio López Rayón led the revolutionary government of his country after Miguel Hidalgo's death, during the first years of the Mexican War of Independence....
on the edges of the municipality during the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
.
Atlacomulco officially became a municipality in 1824. During the very late 19th century and early 20th century, Atlacomulco was dominated by a number of large haciendas which include the Toshi Hacienda and the El Salto Hacienda.
In 1915, during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, Lucio Blanco
Lucio Blanco
Lucio Blanco was a Mexican military officer, noteworthy for his participation in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1920.-Biography:...
occupied the city of Atlacomulco with his groups while on his way to the Bajío
Bajío
The Bajío is a region of Central Mexico that includes the plains south of the Sierra de Guanajuato, in the state of Guanajuato, as well as parts of the states of Querétaro and Michoacán .In general parlance, it is usually associated with the States of Guanajuato and Querétaro, although it only...
region. He is known here for sacking almost all of the municipality’s grain, as well as printing money which was circulated in the north of Mexico. During this time period, the municipality’s most famous resident, Isidro Fabela Alfaro was active as a politician and writer.
During the first half of the 20th century, most of the educational institutions here were established. In 1951, the village gained town status and in 1987, it was declared a city.
The city
The parish of Santa María de Guadalupe was constructed in the 17th century in PlateresquePlateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" , was an artistic movement, especially architectural, traditionally held to be exclusive to Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance in the late 15th century, and spread over the next two centuries...
style. In the cupola, there is a painting of the Virgin Mary during the Assumption
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
. In front of the church is the Plaza Arturo Velez Martinez. This church is the seat of the diocese of Atlacomulco. The diocese was established in 1984 by decree of John Paul II, naming Ricardo Guízar Díaz as the first bishop. The current bishop is Constancio Mirada. The Sanctuary of the Señor del Huerto is in Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style built in the 19th century. It contains three oils that depict the resurrection of Jesus, his flogging and being kissed by Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
. Another notable temple is dedicated to Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
and was built in 1984.
Public buildings include the municipal palace, (1945), the Venustiano Carranza Sports Center (1944), the Teatro del Pueblo (People’s Theater) (1945), the Lienzo Charro
Lienzo charro
A lienzo charro is an arena where charros hold the events of charreada, torneo de colas and bull riding. A lienzo has two areas: one and a second, circular area in diameter. Charreada is a team competition in which teams go head-to-head to win points in different competitions. The team with the...
Nicolas Gonzalez Fabela (1951) and the Isidro Fabela Cultural Center, which was built in the 19th century but was remodeled in 1969. In this center there are artistic and cultural workshops.
The main festival for the year is the Festival of the Señor del Huerto (Lord of the Grove). This festival contains both Christian and pagan elements, and takes place on the third week of September. This festival has processions, dances, amusement rides and fireworks. Traditional dances that are performed include Las Pastoras, Los Santiagueros, Los Vaquero and Los Arcos. Processions are accompanied by musicians playing violins, chirimias and drums. The Señor del Huerto is an image of Jesus that was supposedly found with an elderly man who had wandered from his home. The man was found dead sometime after he was noticed missing, but the body was perfectly preserved. This was the first miracle attributed to the image.
Like much of the State of Mexico, the cuisine here includes barbacoa
Barbacoa
Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean with the Taíno people, from which the term "barbecue" derives. In contemporary Mexico it generally refers to meats or a whole sheep slow-cooked over an open fire, or more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with...
and carnitas
Carnitas
Carnitas, literally "little meats", is a type of braised or roasted pork in Mexican cuisine.Pork carnitas is traditionally made using the heavily marbled, rich 'boston butt' or 'picnic ham' cuts of pork...
. One dish that is local is called ensalada de juanes, (juanes salad) which combins nopal
Nopal
Nopales are a vegetable made from the young cladode segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines. These fleshy pads are flat and about hand-sized. They can be purple or green...
s, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
, pork rinds, cheese and watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
. Pulque
Pulque
Pulque, or octli, is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant, and is a traditional native beverage of Mexico. The drink’s history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to...
is popular here as well.
The city has several notable schools. The oldest of this is the Escuela Normal de Atlacomulco . This is a teachers’ college, which prepares teachers for students from kindergarten through high school (preparatory). The college offers both bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees. Universidad TecMilenio is a university that offers degrees in engineering, business and information technology, as well as masters in information technology. Nationwide private university system ITESM has a preparatory school here, which was founded in 1997. This campus is a subsidiary of Campus Toluca
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Toluca
The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Toluca Campus commonly shortened as Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Toluca or ITESM Campus Toluca, is a campus of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education private university system located on the west side of...
.
In 1979, an industrial zone was created as part of a project called Atlacomulco 2000. Incentives have been given by the state and municipal governments since then to attract investors. It is now one of the largest employers and distribution hubs in northern State of Mexico. Industries located here produce chemical products, electrical devices, textiles, clothing, pharmaceuticals and wood products.
The municipality
As a municipality, the city of Atlacomulco is the local government for nearly 110 other communities in the area, which cover a territory of 258.74km2. Only about a quarter of the municipality’s population of 77,831 lives in the city proper. The municipality has a large percentage of indigenous peoples for central Mexico, at 20%, compared to 3.8 percent for the rest of the State of Mexico, with 8,820 people speaking a native language as of 2005, with MazahuaMazahua language
The Mazahua language is an indigenous language of Mexico, spoken in the country's central states by the ethnic group widely known as the Mazahua but who refer to themselves as Hñatho. Mazahua is a Mesoamerican language and shows many of the traits which define the Mesoamerican Linguistic Area...
dominating. The municipality borders the municipalities of Acambay
Acambay, Mexico State
Acambay is a town and municipio located in north of the State of Mexico. The township of Acambay is the municipal seat of the municipio of the same name.-History:...
, Temascalcingo
Temascalcingo
Temascalcingo de José Maria Velasco is a town and seat of the municipality of Temascalcingo in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It is located in the northeast of the state. The temazcal was very common in Temascalcingo. The name Temascalcingo has its roots in Nahuatl. It means place of the little...
, San Andrés Timilpan
Timilpan
Timilpan is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 179.82 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 14,335.-References:...
, San Bartolo Morelos
Morelos, Mexico
Morelos is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 222.76 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 26,430....
and El Oro.
The municipality has rugged terrain, filled with mountains and hills. It is located on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Trans-Mexican volcanic belt
The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also known as the Transvolcanic Belt and locally as the Sierra Nevada , is a volcanic belt that extends 900 km from west to east across central-southern Mexico...
, in the Lakes and Volcanos of Anáhuac region. Principle elevations include Cerro Xitije, Cerro Atlacomulco, Cerro La Cruz and Cerro El Cielito. Its altitude varies from 2720 to 3030 meters above sea level. It is part of the Lerma River
Lerma River
The Lerma Santiago River is Mexico's second longest river. It is a river in west-central Mexico that begins in Mexican Plateau at an altitude over above sea level, and ends where it empties into Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest lake, near Guadalajara, Jalisco...
basin which crosses the territory, as well as a number of streams and fresh-water springs. There three dams in the area, with the main one being J. Trinidad Fabela. Its climate is fairly moist with most rain falling between June and September. Average high temperatures is 19.9C and average low is 7.4C.
Most of the vegetation is mixed- and conifer forests, covering about 20% of the municipality. The most common trees include cedars
Cedar wood
Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
, holm oak
Holm Oak
Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
s, eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, ash, strawberry trees, pines, oaks and weeping willows. Wild animals include small and medium-sized mammals such as squirrels, rabbits and foxes as well as reptiles such as chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
s, rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s and various small lizards. The northern part of the municipality near the Cerro de Jocotitlán is now a natural reserve where logging is prohibited and reforestation is underway. It is also a state park called the Isidro Fabela State Natural Park.
Near the community of El Salto is the José Trinidad Fabela dam. In the middle of the lake created by the dam is the Isla de las Aves or Island of the Birds. This island is an ecological sanctuary for migratory birds and contains an aviary. Some of the birds kept and bred here are doves, guinea hens, peacocks and storks. Cabin rentals are available for visitors.
Most of the municipality outside the city proper is dedicated to agriculture. Over 90% of what is grown is corn. Other crops include wheat, oats, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and beans. Livestock is divided mostly among cattle, sheep and domestic fowl. Most of the crops and livestock are produced for auto-consumption. One notable exception is the flower growing region around the locality of San Lorenzo Tlacotepec, which ships fresh flowers to states such as Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
and Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
. Agriculture employs about one quarter of the population and another quarter is employed by industries. The other half are employed in commerce, tourism and services.
Isidro Fabela and Grupo Atlacomulco
Grupo Atlacomulco is supposedly an informal political group within what was the ruling party of Mexico, the Institutional Revolutionary PartyInstitutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI). This group has been based in Atlacomulco and very influential in the politics of Mexico State and the federal government. However, the most influential people linked to the group, such as Isidro Fabela, Carlos Hank González
Carlos Hank González
Carlos Hank González , nicknamed El Profesor , was a Mexican politician and influential businessman. Originally a teacher, he was an entrepreneur who built political contacts along with a business empire, leading to various government and political positions at the state and national level...
and Arturo Montiel
Arturo Montiel
Arturo Montiel Rojas is a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party . He is a former governor of the State of México and a former federal deputy....
have denied its existence or refused to confirm its existence.The group was considered to be one of the pillars of the PRI.
The group has its origins with the political connections of Maximo Montiel Olmos in Atlacomulco, the grand-uncle of Arturo Montiel, to people such as Rosendo Monroy Cruz, Lucindo Cárdenas, Rafael Suárez Ocaña and Silviano Díaz Cid. However, the group as a widespread political force was established by Isidro Fabela. Fabela was governor of the State of Mexico from 1942 to 1945, during which time he started an educational movement which culminated in the Insitituto Cientifico Literario, today the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México is a public university in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It is the largest university institution in the state with over 84,500 students, with its central campus located in the state capital of Toluca...
. He also founded several newspapers and was one of the founding members of the Ateneo de la Juventud
Ateneo de la Juventud
Ateneo de la Juventud was an association of intellectuals, primarily writers and philosophers, in the years surrounding the Mexican centennial of 1910...
.
The group has operated mostly to get its members into high government positions in both the state and federal governments. Fabela was instrumental in the political rise of Salvador Sánchez Colín, Alfredo del Mazo Vélez and Carlos Hank González from the 1950s to the 1970s. The name "Grupo Atlacomulco, come from local newspaper reports who began to discuss the "men from Atlacomulco" who were beginning to dominate state and federal political posts.
At one point in the 20th century, the group had members in various state governments in central Mexico and occupied key positions in the federal government. In the State of Mexico, it is estimated that 80% of government posts were held by members. Their influence even had one of their members nominated to become the first bishop of Toluca in the 1950s. However, with the waning of the PRI starting in the 1980s, the influence of the group began to diminish as well. With the death of Hank in 2001, the group is now said to be leaderless, even though it is still cited to be a strong force in politics and even to have connections to drug trafficking.
The Coordinator of Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
, Santiago Corcuera, has accused Grupo Atlacomulco of working against human rights in Mexico. He states this has been done by arguing the downsides of implementing human rights guarantees as applied to groups such as criminals and women.
The current governor of the State of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto
Enrique Peña Nieto
Enrique Peña Nieto is a Mexican politician. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party , he served as governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to 2011. On September 19, 2011, he announced his candidacy in the 2012 Mexican presidential election to succeed Felipe Calderón...
, is rumored to be associated with the group due to this strong political ties with Arturo Montiel. Arturo Montiel was a candidate for the PRI presidential nomination in 1999, but lost due to scandal. He is considered to be the most important person in the group today.
Further reading
- Ayuntamiento de Atlacomulco (1997). Plan de desarrollo municipal de Atlacomulco 1997-2000 (in Spanish), Atlacomulco México: Ayuntamiento de Atlacomulco.
- Marisol del Socorro Arias Flores (1998). Monografía municipal de Atlacomulco (in Spanish). Toluca México: Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura.