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History of San Luis, Petén

Contemplating a bit of History of San Luis, Petén In pre-Columbian times, the territory of the municipality was inhabited by descendants of the Mayan civilization that is located in the Petén lowlands, belonging to the Mopán ethnic group. The Mopán Mayan people are part of the diversity of ethnic groups that make up the multiculturalism of the Republic of Guatemala, it belongs to the Yucatecan linguistic branch. Etymologically, the name Mopán is derived from two Mayan voices: Mo''que means guacamayo and pän that ent tucán, two birds of beautiful plumage; Consequently, it literally translates as the MAYA GUACAMAYO-TUCÁN. But the mopans call themselves MAYAS.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards to American lands, the Mopan Maya were scattered in small towns in the eastern part of the Petén department in places such as Tembatutz, Ixobeel, Chanté, Chahuac Jaas, Soosjá, Witzil Muy, Witzil Mó, Xut' ìljá (archaeological site) Chächäkjá, Ixsuut, Säyaab, Yaalyux K`obj'a, Jobonché, Titzel, Ixyuk, Chukti, Ixto ', Nuktun, Jomo', Witzil Xilil, The Han Han Disappeared; However, they also settled in places currently known as Chäk'an (today Poptún) Säk Läk, IxAaktè (Chacté) Ixboboj, Noktún, PusiláChinchilá, Chimay and Tzunkál; names that have not succumbed to the onslaught of Castilianization.

According to the story, the root of the Mopán group comes from the place Itzá 'Tayasal, located on the lake of Petén Itzá', who because of discrepancies between caciques and tribes migrated a group on the banks of the Mopán River, living there for a certain time and where there were many macaws and toucans, originating there the name of the group. Then they decided to migrate south to the place that is now San Luis.

At that time they were scattered in the four cardinal points, one of the caciques that lived on the south side, named Gregorio Tzuncal, in one of his hunts it is said that he found several species of animals on the top of a hill, scratching the Naba tree '(Incense tree); immediately told the council of elders everything he had seen, who in consensus, decided to gather the mopans who were scattered in the four cardinal points, to the place where Gregorio discovered everything he had seen, and thought about doing the rite of Rallo Ritual, and it was there where they founded the place, which is currently San Luis, Petén.

The foundation of the municipality of San Luis was registered on August 25, 1708, by the Spanish Crown, when the field teacher Don Juan Antonio Ruíz y Bustamante arrived who was named Governor of Petén. As it passed through the MOPAN community, it was considered the municipality of San Luis, with an official character through a Government Agreement of the State of Guatemala during the Central American federation in 1832.

Before his death, Mr. Ciriaco Acaljá Koj, who lived 112 years, indicated that in his youth he participated, during several years and months, with many mopanes forced to breach the long borders of Petén, without food support or any salary; those who opposed, were imprisoned, flogged and then forced to perform work. These abuses led many mopans to seek refuge in Belizean territory, founding in that country the town of Uchben Kaj (Old Town) which years later, was called San Antonio Belize. He recalled Mr. Ciriaco, who at that time Mr. Clodoveo Berges was the political head of Petén.

With these data it can be deduced that the emigration of Mopanes to Belize could take place from 1892 to 1898 during the government of General José María Reina Barrios, however, those who remained in Guatemala, continued to preserve their culture and language; it is estimated that there are currently more than eight thousand mopanes, located both in the municipal capitals of San Luis and Poptún, as well as in villages and hamlets.