Editing History of Guatemala (section)

==== Battle of La Arada ====
{{Main|Battle of La Arada}}
{{See also|Doroteo Vasconcelos|Vicente Cerna y Cerna}}

After Carrera returned from exile in 1849, Vasconcelos granted asylum to Guatemalan liberals, who harassed the Guatemalan government in various ways. José Francisco Barrundia did so through a liberal newspaper established for that purpose, while Vasconcelos supported the rebel faction "La Montaña" in eastern Guatemala by distributing money and weapons for a whole year. By late 1850, Vasconcelos, growing impatient with the slow progress of the war with Guatemala, decided to plan an open attack. In this context, the Salvadoran head of state launched a campaign against the conservative Guatemalan regime, inviting [[Honduras]] and [[Nicaragua]] to join the alliance; only Honduras, under [[Juan Lindo]], accepted.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1930}}

Meanwhile, in Guatemala, where the invasion plans were well known, President [[Mariano Paredes (Guatemala)|Mariano Paredes]] began taking precautions to face the threat, while Guatemalan Archbishop [[Francisco de Paula García Peláez]] ordered peace prayers throughout the archdiocese.<ref group=lower-alpha>"In the Conservative regime of Guatemala, the Catholic Church was entangled with the Government, and the leaders of both were mostly relatives of the Aycinena family. In: Woodward (1993). ''Rafael Carrera and the Emergence of the Republic of Guatemala''.</ref>

On 4 January 1851, [[Doroteo Vasconcelos]] and Juan Lindo met in [[Ocotepeque]], Honduras, where they signed an alliance against Guatemala. The Salvadoran army, comprising 4,000 men, was well-trained, armed, and supported by artillery, while the Honduran army numbered 2,000 men. The coalition army was stationed in [[Metapán]], El Salvador, near the Guatemalan and Honduran borders.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1930}}{{sfn|González Davison|2008|pp=316–317}}

On 28 January 1851, Vasconcelos sent a letter to the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Relations demanding that the Guatemalan president relinquish power, allowing the alliance to designate a new head of state loyal to the liberals, and that Carrera be exiled, escorted by a Salvadoran regiment to any of the Guatemalan southern ports.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=315}} The Guatemalan government refused these terms, prompting the Allied army to invade Guatemalan territory at three different points. On 29 January, a 500-man contingent led by General Vicente Baquero entered through Piñuelas, [[Agua Blanca, Jutiapa|Agua Blanca]] and [[Jutiapa]], while the main invading force marched from Metapán. The Allied army, composed of 4,500 men under Vasconcelos as Commander in Chief, included other commanders such as generals [[José Santos Guardiola]], [[Ramón Belloso]], [[José Trinidad Cabañas]], and [[Gerardo Barrios]]. Guatemala, with 2,000 men, was led by Lieutenant General Carrera as Commander in Chief, supported by several colonels.

Carrera's strategy involved feigning a retreat, drawing the enemy into a location of his choosing. On 1 February 1851, both armies faced each other, separated only by the San José River. Carrera had fortified the foothills of La Arada, whose summit rose approximately 50 meters above the river. A meadow 300 meters wide lay between the hill and the river, bordered by a sugar cane plantation. Carrera divided his forces into three sections: the left wing led by Cerna and Solares, the right wing by Bolaños, and he himself led the central battalion, placing his artillery there. Five hundred men remained in [[Chiquimula]] to defend the city and assist in case of a retreat, leaving only 1,500 Guatemalans against the 4,500-strong Allied force.

The battle began at 8:30&nbsp;a.m. with the Allied troops launching an attack at three points, and both sides engaged in intense fire. The first Allied attack was repelled by the defenders on the foothill; during the second attack, the Allied troops managed to take the first line of trenches but were eventually expelled. The third attack saw the Allied forces advance to the point where the battle turned into a mêlée, making it hard to distinguish between Guatemalan and Allied troops. At this critical moment, Carrera ordered the sugar cane plantation surrounding the meadow to be set ablaze. The invading forces were now surrounded—facing Guatemalan firepower at the front, a blazing inferno on the flanks, and the river behind, making retreat nearly impossible. The central division of the Allied army panicked and began a disorderly retreat, soon followed by the rest of the Allied troops.

The 500 men of the Guatemalan rearguard pursued the remnants of the Allied army, which fled desperately toward the borders of their respective countries. The final count of Allied losses was 528 dead, 200 prisoners, 1,000 rifles, 13,000 rounds of ammunition, numerous pack animals and baggage, 11 drums, and seven artillery pieces. Vasconcelos sought refuge in [[El Salvador]], while two generals, mounted on the same horse, were seen crossing the Honduran border. Carrera regrouped his army and crossed into Salvadoran territory, occupying [[Santa Ana, El Salvador|Santa Ana]], before receiving orders from Guatemalan President Mariano Paredes to return to Guatemala, as the Allies were requesting a cease-fire and a peace treaty.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|pp=311–328}}