Augustine de Iturbide: where did the first emperor of Mexico take shelter when he was banished from Mexico

Throughout Mexico's history, two Empires have been recorded. The first occurred immediately after the country gained independence from the Spaniards, in 1821, after 300 years of domination of the European country. This was led by Agustín de Iturbide, the first emperor of Mexico.

Subsequently, after the second French intervention in the country, the Second Empire took place in Mexico, which ran from 1863 to 1867, and this was led by the Austrian Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium.

The First Empire of Mexico was made up of what at that time included the territory of Mexico, which included some current states of the United States of America (USA), in addition to the addition of the newly independent Central American states, so geographically, in this period the territory Mexico reaches its maximum geographical extent.

At that time, Mexican territory was constituted from the current state of Oregon, to the north, currently belonging to the United States, to Bocas del Toro, what is now the territory of Panama, which at that time was part of Costa Rica.

The government of Iturbide, without an economic plan, lasted only nine months, and the republican rebellion, protected by the Casa Mata Plan, would take power, establishing the federal republican system in Mexico in 1824, ending the First Empire of Mexico, and the beginning of the First Federal Republic of the United States Mexicans, supported by the Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824.

This Wednesday, March 30, marks the 199 years of the exile of the first emperor of Mexico, Agustín de Iturbide. It was on March 30, 1823, that Iturbide left Mexico for Liorna, Italy, as a defense measure towards his person and his family, in the face of the uprising in arms of Antonio López de Santa Anna and the promulgation, in 1822, of the Casa Mata Plan.

Days earlier, Iturbide had abdicated the throne before the Mexican Congress. He did not admit that Mexico was left without a ruler, so it was decided to condemn him to perpetual exile with a lifetime pension of 25,000 pesos a year.

Prior to leaving the title of the First Mexican Empire and together with Congress, the Iguala Plan and the Treaties of Cordoba were declared null and void, this in order to allow Mexico to become politically constituted as best suited to the interests of the nation, this according to the journalist of the time, José Joaquín Pesado.

In his book “The Liberator D. Agustín de Iturbide”, Joaquín Pesado stated that the decision to leave the country was made in conjunction with Pedro del Paso y Troncoso and his sister Victoria, who announced to him the series of revolutions that were being planned against him and anyone who wanted the return of the reign of Spain.

On his journey he embarked on an old frigate Rowlins, heading for Italy. He was accompanied by his wife, his eight children, his nephew, two ecclesiastics, his personal secretary and his servitude. He landed in Italy on August 2, 1823; however, he and his companions had to complete mandatory quarantine and were able to leave until September.

However, things were not easy in that country, since it was only granted security for a month because, according to journalist Pesado, in Europe “the Spanish-American Revolution was not well seen”.

Iturbide's exile in Europe did not last long, because between his constant moves from Florence to London, he was able to learn about Spain's plans for reconquest over Mexico. At the same time, receiving news through letters that “painted the republic in a state of anarchy”.

With this information and advised by some people who wanted a monarchy in America, he decided to return to Mexico a year later. He embarked in London on May 4, 1824, along with some members of his family, for St. Bernard Bay, Texas, where he arrived on June 27.

He spent days in Texas planning his entry into Mexico, he wanted to make it believe that he was rendering his services to the homeland to prevent further conflicts and prevent a reconquest by Spain; however, this did not work and he was arrested on July 16 in Tamaulipas.

Three days later, on July 19, 1824, he was shot in Padilla, Tamaulipas, on orders of the local congress that ordered to comply with the decree to shoot the traitor Agustín de Iturbide.

KEEP READING: