On November 25, 1816, a ragtag band of Indian rebels surrendered Mezcala Island to General Jose de la Cruz, commander of Royalist troops assigned to hold the Lake Chapala region. The truce closed a remarkable though obscure chapter in the story of the country’s independence movement.
Insurgency against Spanish rule boiled up along the lakeshore in 1812. Armed at the outset with little more than sticks and stones, native warriors led by Marcos Castellanos, Encarnación Rosas and Jose Santana holed up with wives and children in a makeshift island fortress where they managed to keep the better-trained, better-equipped Spanish forces at bay for four years. The rebels outwitted the enemy over and over again as they ventured out for raids on terra firma to snag caches of weapons, food and other survival supplies. They came up with innovative defensive tactics and showed fierce mettle to more than 20 decisive battles.
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Frustrated by repeated failure to achieve their ends, the Royalists finally blockaded the island. But even as the rebels faced death by starvation and rampant disease, they held out until General de la Cruz caved to their demands for accepting surrender. They only abandoned the island after being granted guarantees of indulgence against further persecution, restitution of ancestral lands, reconstruction of war-ravished homesteads, and sufficient livestock and seed to rebuild their lives.
The heroic defense of Mezcala Island rarely merits mention in history books, at best appearing as a minor footnote. Yet 200 years later, memory of the wily guerilla fighters who kept control of that rocky and barren outcropping in the lake against all odds still inspires pride and resiliency among their modern day descendants.
Mezcala will celebrate the glory days of its forefathers with a bicentennial commemoration running November 20 through 25.
Activities slated for Tuesday through Thursday include daily sporting contests starting at 9 a.m. and cultural programs staged at the town’s Malecon from 5 p.m.
Similar events booked for Friday, November 23 will be complemented by an exhibition of typical regional cuisine set for 2 p.m. at the Malecon.
Saturday, November 23 will bring a full day of events at the waterfront, including fishing and swimming tournaments, the Governor’s Cup sailing regatta and contests offering awards to individuals who present the best samples of antique coins and bills, home-grown pumpkins, corn on the cob, and local fish, all running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. An offering to the Heroes of Mezcala, including a 150-meter-long colored sawdust and still-life carpet, will be dedicated at 4:45 p.m., followed by a festival of traditional dances.
An evening vigil on the island begins 6:30 p.m. Activity at the Malecon continues after dark with a torchlight parade, 9 p.m., followed by a narration of the island’s history, performance of the Danza de la Conquista, an enactment of a battle between native rebels Spanish troops closing out with a fireworks and paper balloon spectacle.
The celebration finale set for Sunday November 25 commences at 10 a.m. with a civic parade along the town’s main streets, and the finalist round of the regatta starting at the same hour. An equestrian cavalcade is slated to arrive in the town at 11 a.m., just as festively adorned boats sail in from neighboring lakeshore communities to join a nautical parade to the island, where a heroes cemetery and altar dedicated to rebellion leader Marcos Castellanos will be on display. Live entertainment and more festivity will keep things kicking at the Malecon from noon until sunset.{/access}