Iguala de la Independencia

Iguala de la Independencia

Iguala de la Independencia is a historic city situated in the Mexican state of Guerrero in southwestern Mexico. Positioned on Federal Highway 95 approximately 130 kilometers south-southwest of Mexico City, the municipality serves as a north-central administrative seat and holds a population of 118,468 residents.

The city represents a profound historical turning point for the nation, marking the conclusion of the long Mexican War of Independence. On February 24, 1821, Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero signed the Plan de Iguala, setting the stage for national sovereignty. Independence from Spain was subsequently represented by the first national flag, the Flag of the Three Guarantees, crafted by José Magdaleno Ocampo. Because of these events, Iguala is widely recognized as the birthplace of the Flag of Mexico, and General Vicente Guerrero later became the first military leader to swear allegiance to the Mexican flag in Acatempan on March 12, 1821.

Beyond its revolutionary heritage, Iguala functions as the third-largest community in Guerrero, following Acapulco and Chilpancingo. The municipality spans an area of 567.1 square kilometers. Local geography features landmarks such as the 19th-century Neoclassical San Francisco Church—surrounded by tamarind trees that give the community its nickname, la Ciudad Tamarindera—and the Lagoon of Tuxpan on the city's outskirts. Annually in late February, the city hosts the Iguala Flag Fair, featuring parades, folk art, and artisan jewelry made of gold and silver.

In more recent history, the city became the center of intense national and international attention following the Iguala mass kidnapping on September 26, 2014, when 43 students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College in Ayotzinapa were abducted and disappeared, leading to widespread protests and the resignation of Guerrero state governor Ángel Aguirre Rivero.