Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Federation of Central America (1921–1922)
Former country in Central America From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The Federation of Central America (Spanish: Federación de Centro América)[1] was a federal republic that existed in Central America between 1921 and 1922. The federation consisted of the Central American nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
.png)
Remove ads
Delegations from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua drafted the Pact of Union of Central America in January 1921, and the pact was signed by the former four countries; Nicaragua refused to sign as it conflicted with the Bryan–Chamorro Treaty it had with the United States. By 6 April 1921, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras had ratified the pact, officially establishing the Federation of Central America. Costa Rica rejected the pact in June 1921 and never joined the federation. The federation's constitution was ratified on 9 September 1921. The federation dissolved in 1922 after the Guatemalan government was overthrown.
Remove ads
Background
On 15 September 1821, Central America declared its independence from the Spanish Empire, and in 1823, it established the Federal Republic of Central America. The federal republic consisted of five members: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.[2] The federal republic collapsed between 1838 and 1841 when all its members declared their independence.[3][4] Since the collapse of the Federal Republic of Central America, its former members had attempted to restore it on several occasions including during the 19th century, but all attempts eventually failed.[5][6]
Remove ads
History
Summarize
Perspective
Establishment
On 4 December 1920, delegations from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua met in San José to negotiation the reestablishment of a united Central American state.[7][a] The negotiations were held as the region's government wanted to restore the Federal Republic of Central America as the centenary of Central American independence was approaching on 15 September 1921.[8] After five meetings, the delegations drafted the Pact of Union of Central America outlining the framework of a Central American state on 17 January 1921,[7] and on 19 January, the delegations of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras signed a pact.[9][10] The pact presented the Federation of Central America as the successor of the Federal Republic of Central America.[1]
Nicaragua did not sign the pact as its government was concerned that joining the federation would violate the Bryan–Chamorro Treaty that Nicaragua had with the United States.[11] The pact's signatories, especially Costa Rica,[b] encouraged the Nicaraguan government to sign the pact and break the Bryan–Chamorro Treaty to no avail.[13] Article XIX of the pact allowed Nicaragua to join the federation whenever it wished.[14] El Salvador ratified the pact on 23 January 1921, followed by Honduras on 25 January and Guatemala on 6 April; the pact stipulated that it would go into full effect once at least three members had ratified it, marking 6 April 1921 as the foundation of the Federation of Central America.[15] Although Costa Rica signed the pact, the Constitutional Congress of Costa Rica rejected it on 21 June 1921 due to the Nicaraguan government's refusal to join the federation.[16]
The pact established the National Constituent Assembly to draft the country's constitution. The assembly consisted of fourteen Salvadorans, fifteen Guatemalans, and fifteen Hondurans.[17][18] The assembly proclaimed the constitution on 9 September 1921 and it was ratified by El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras on 9 September 1921.[19][20]
Dissolution
On 5 December 1921, the Guatemalan government of President Carlos Herrera was overthrown by the Armed Forces of Guatemala and the United Fruit Company.[21][22] Herrera's successor, General José María Orellana declared Guatemala's withdrawal from the Federation of Central America.[23][24] The federation's legislature met on 4 January 1922 in Tegucigalpa (the federation's capital), and despite the coup in Guatemala, the Guatemalan deputies assumed office.[25] Later that month, a member of the Central American legislature told Edward Perry, a contributor to The Hispanic American Historical Review, that the coup had "overturned" the federation's politics and that "the legal functioning of the new political organism is impossible" with the rise of an unelected government in Guatemala.[22]
The Federation of Central America is the most recent attempt to unite Central America under a single country.[26]
Remove ads
Government and politics
Summarize
Perspective
The constitution of the Federation of Central America declared the country to be "perpetual and indissoluble" and designated El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as states within the republic.[27] A federal district was also planned to be established around the country's capital city in Tegucigalpa.[17][23] It also declared the government to be "republican, popular, and responsible". The federal government consisted of legislative, executive, and judicial branches.[28]
Federal government
The federation's bicameral legislature composed of the Senate (upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies (lower house). The Senate consisted of three senators and three substitute senators from each state, while the Chamber of Deputies consisted of one deputy and one substitute deputy representing 100,000 people each. Both chambers of the legislature required three-fourths of its members to be present to reach quorum. Elections for the legislature and executive were to be held through popular vote. Senators were elected for six-year terms, and one-third of the Senate was elected each election cycle. There were no legislative term-limits.[28]
The executive branch was led by a federal council consisting of one delegate and one substitute delegate from each state. Delegates of the federal council were elected for five-year terms. The council elected a president and vice president from its members for one year terms; they were not allowed to be re-elected consecutively. The president of the council also served as the president of the federation.[29][30] The Supreme Court consisted of seven justices elected by the Senate.[31]
Citizenship
The constitution granted citizenship to anyone born within the federation, with the exception of the children of diplomats, who meet one of three requirements: were at least 21 years old, were at least 18 years old and were married, or were literate. The constitution further stipulated that by 1928, literacy would become a requirement for citizens to be eligible to vote in state and federal elections. Women were granted suffrage if they married or widowed, literate, and at least 21 years old; 25 years old and had received a primary educated; or possessed a certain amount of wealth. Women were allowed to hold public office as long as they were not elected or if the office held no jurisdiction.[32]
Remove ads
See also
Notes
- The delegates that negotiated the Pact of Union of Central America were the Costa Ricans Alejandro Alvarado Quirós and Cleto González Víquez, Salvadorans Reyes Arrieta Rossi and Miguel Tomás Medina, Guatemalans Salvador Falla and Carlos Salazar, Hondurans Alberto Uclés and Mariano Vásquez, and Nicaraguans Manuel Pasos Arana and Ramón Castillo.[7]
- At the time, the Costa Rican government viewed the Bryan–Chamorro Treaty between Nicaragua and the United States as a violation of its own sovereign rights as the treaty forbade Nicaragua from granting concessions to build a canal in the San Juan River that marks much of the Costa Rica–Nicaragua border; Costa Rica was not consulted regarding this aspect of the treaty.[12]
Remove ads
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads