UPCA Restoration War 1885

The president of Guatemala, Justo Rufino Barrios, intervened repeatedly in the affairs of the other Central American republics, particularly El Salvador and Honduras, in an effort to restore the five-nation United Provinces of Central America (UPCA) federation that had collapsed in 1838. Guatemala had the largest and best army in the region; the ranks were made up of professionals, not just adventurers, between the ages of eighteen and fifty who were all given compulsory military training. In 1885, Barrios made his final bid to restore the UPCA.

On 28 February 1885, Barrios issued a declaration calling for the establishment of a Central American Union and proclaimed himself the Supreme Military Commander of Central America. The government of Honduras – under Marco Aurelio Soto (whom Barrios had installed in the 1876 war) – agreed to the proposal. Costa Rica and Nicaragua rejected participation in the new union. The president of El Salvador – Rafael Zaldiva (whom Barrios had installed during the 1876 war as well) – told Barrios that he would call congress into session and consider the implications of the proclamation. Barrios became enraged and warned Zaldivar that he could not tolerate any delay. When his diplomacy seemly failed, Barrios prepared for war, beginning with an invasion of El Salvador.

The governments of Costa Rica, El Salvador and Nicaragua made plans for war as well. The Salvadoran army concentrated on the Guatemalan border while the The Costa Rican and Nicaraguan forces were to be used primarily to neutralize Honduras where they expected the overthrow of the government with the help of a popular uprising. Barrios led the Guatemalan army into El Salvador on March 28, 1885.The first battle, on March 31st, at El Coco, El Salvador, was a victory for Barrios, but two days later the Guatemalans were defeated at the little town of Chalchuapa; in an assault upon its defenses Barrios was killed (possibly by someone within his ranks), along with about 800 of his troops on April 2nd. Leaderless, many of the reluctant conscripts of the Guatemalan army were only too eager to accept defeat as a reason for going home.

Manuel Lisandro Barillas became the new Guatemalan president and his government soon revoked the proclamation of the UCPA issued by Barrios. The Guatemalan army withdrew from El Salvador. Peace was restored on April 15, 1885 and Central America remained and would continue to remain divided.

References

Clodfelter, 549; COW70; EB - United Provinces of Central America; Karnes, 157-64.

Thomas L Karnes. The Failure of Union: Central America, 1824-1960. University of North Carolina Press. 2012.

Category

Inter-State War

Region

Central America

Belligerents

Guatemala, El Salvador

Dispute

Governance

Initiation Date

March 28, 1885

Termination Date

April 15, 1885

Duration

19 days

Outcome

Negotiated Settlement
(El Salvador victory)

Fatalities

Total: 1,000
El Salvador: 200
Guatemala: 800

Magnitude

3.0