Editing History of Guatemala (section)

==== Rise of Rafael Carrera ====
{{Main|Rafael Carrera}}
In 1838, the liberal forces of Honduran leader [[Francisco Morazán]] and Guatemalan [[José Francisco Barrundia]] invaded Guatemala and reached San Sur, where they executed Pascual Alvarez, Carrera's father-in-law. They impaled his head on a pike as a warning to all followers of the Guatemalan caudillo.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|pp=84–85}} Upon learning of this, Carrera and his wife Petrona—who had come to confront Morazán upon hearing of the invasion and were in Mataquescuintla—swore they would never forgive Morazán, even in death; they found it impossible to respect anyone who would not avenge family members.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=85}}

After sending several envoys, whom Carrera would not receive—especially Barrundia, whom Carrera did not want to murder in cold blood—Morazán began a scorched earth offensive, destroying villages in his path and stripping them of their few assets. The Carrera forces had to hide in the mountains.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=86}} Believing that Carrera was completely defeated, Morazán and Barrundia marched on to [[Guatemala City]], where they were welcomed as saviors by the state governor Pedro Valenzuela and members of the conservative Aycinena Clan. Valenzuela and Barrundia provided Morazán with all the Guatemalan resources needed to address any financial problems he had.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=87}} The [[criollo people|criollos]] of both parties celebrated until dawn, relieved to have a criollo caudillo like Morazán who could crush the peasant rebellion.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=88}}

Morazán used the proceeds to support Los Altos and then replaced Valenzuela with [[Mariano Rivera Paz]], a member of the Aycinena clan. However, Rivera Paz did not return any property confiscated in 1829. In retaliation, Juan José de Aycinena y Piñol voted for the dissolution of the Central American Federation in [[San Salvador]] shortly thereafter, forcing Morazán to return to El Salvador to defend his federal mandate. On his way, Morazán increased repression in eastern Guatemala as punishment for aiding Carrera.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=89}}

Knowing that Morazán had gone to El Salvador, Carrera attempted to capture [[Salamá]] with the small force that remained but was defeated, losing his brother Laureano in the combat. With only a few men left, he managed to escape, badly wounded, to Sanarate.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|pp=91–92}} After partially recovering, he attacked a detachment in Jutiapa and acquired a small amount of booty, which he distributed to his volunteers. He then prepared to assault Petapa, near Guatemala City, where he achieved victory, albeit with heavy casualties.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=92}}

In September of that year, he attempted an assault on Guatemala City, but liberal general [[Carlos Salazar Castro]] defeated him in the fields of Villa Nueva, forcing Carrera to retreat.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1959|p=20 April}} After an unsuccessful attempt to capture Quetzaltenango, Carrera was surrounded and wounded, leading him to capitulate to Mexican General Agustín Guzmán, who had been in Quetzaltenango since Vicente Filísola's arrival in 1823. Morazán had the opportunity to shoot Carrera but chose not to, as he needed the support of the Guatemalan peasants to counter the attacks of [[Francisco Ferrera]] in [[El Salvador]]. Instead, Morazán left Carrera in charge of a small fort in Mita, disarmed. Knowing that Morazán was preparing to attack El Salvador, [[Francisco Ferrera]] supplied Carrera with arms and ammunition and persuaded him to attack Guatemala City.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=96}}

Meanwhile, despite persistent advice to decisively crush Carrera and his forces, Salazar attempted to negotiate diplomatically. He even demonstrated his lack of fear and distrust of Carrera by removing the fortifications around Guatemala City, which had been in place since the Battle of Villa Nueva.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1959|p=20 April}} Taking advantage of Salazar's good faith and Ferrera's weapons, Carrera took Guatemala City by surprise on 13 April 1839. Castro Salazar, Mariano Gálvez, and Barrundia fled before Carrera's militiamen arrived. Salazar, in his nightshirt, vaulted over rooftops to seek refuge and eventually reached the border disguised as a peasant.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1959|p=48}}{{sfn|González Davison|2008|pp=122–127}} With Salazar gone, Carrera reinstated Rivera Paz as head of state of Guatemala.