Editing History of Guatemala (section)

==== Independence and Central American civil war ====
{{Main|Manuel José Arce|Francisco Morazán}}

[[File:Independenciacentroamerica2.jpg|thumb|[[Criollo people|Criollos]] rejoice upon learning of the declaration of independence on 15 September 1821. Painting by Rafael Beltranena.]]

In 1821, with Fernando VII's power in Spain weakened by French invasions and other conflicts, Mexico declared the [[Plan de Iguala]]. This led Mariano Aycinena y Piñol, the [[criollo people|criollo]] leader, and the [[Captain General]] of the Kingdom of Guatemala, [[Gabino Gaínza|Gabino Gaínza Fernandez de Medrano]], to declare Guatemala and the rest of Central America as an independent entity on 15 September 1821.

Aycinena y Piñol was one of the signatories of the [[Act of Independence of Central America|Declaration of Independence of Central America]] from the [[Spanish Empire]]. He strongly lobbied for Central America's annexation to the [[First Mexican Empire|Mexican Empire]] under [[Agustín de Iturbide]], due to its conservative and ecclesiastical nature.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=426}} In October 1826, [[Central American Federation]] president [[Manuel José Arce|Manuel José de Arce y Fagoaga]] dissolved the Legislature and attempted to establish a Unitarian System for the region, shifting from the Liberal to the Conservative party led by Aycinena.{{sfn|Arce|1830}}

[[File: MANUEL JOSE ARCE PICTURE.jpg|thumb| upright|General Manuel José Arce; decorated Salvadoran General and president of the Federal Republic of Central America from 1825 to 1829.]]

The rest of Central America rejected this system and sought to remove the Aycinena family from power, leading to the [[First Central American Civil War|Central American Civil War]] (1826–1829). From this conflict emerged the dominant figure of [[Honduras|Honduran]] general [[Francisco Morazán]]. Mariano Aycinena y Piñol, leader of the Aycinena family and conservative power, was appointed Governor of Guatemala on 1 March 1827 by President [[Manuel José Arce]].{{sfn|Arce|1830}} The Aycinena regime was dictatorial: it censored the free press, banned books with liberal ideologies, imposed martial law, and reinstated the death penalty retroactively. Mandatory tithing for the [[secular clergy]] of the [[Catholic Church]] was also reinstated.{{sfn|González Davison|2008|p=426}}