Los Altos (state)

State of Los Altos Estado de Los Altos (Spanish)
1838–1840 1848–1849
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Dios, Unión, Libertad" (Spanish) English: "God, Union, Liberty"
Anthem: "La Granadera"
Status	State of the Federal Republic of Central America (1838–40) break-away republic of Guatemala (1848–49)
Capital	Quetzaltenango
Common languages	Spanish
• 1838–1840	Marcelo Molina
• 1848	Fernando Antonio Dávila José Velazco Rafael de la Torre
History
• Independence from Guatemala	2 February 1838
• Renewed recognition of Central American Congress	5 June 1838
• Forcible reincorporation into Guatemala	January 1840
• Renewed declaration of independence	26 August 1848
• Reincorporation into Guatemala	8 May 1849
Currency	Central American Republic real
Preceded by Succeeded by Federal Republic of Central America Guatemala Mexico
Today part of	Guatemala Mexico

The State of Los Altos (Spanish: Estado de Los Altos), commonly known as Los Altos, was the 6th state of the Federal Republic of Central America from 1838 to 1840 and a short-lived independent republic from 1848 to 1849. Its capital was Quetzaltenango. Los Altos occupied eight departments in the west of present-day Guatemala as well as the Soconusco region in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

The state originated from the political differences and tensions between Guatemala City on one side, and Quetzaltenango and other parts of western Central America on the other. Debate about separation from Guatemala dated from shortly after Central American independence from Spain in 1821. Such a separate state was provided for by the Federal constitutional assembly of November 1824, but there was sizable opposition to the separation in Guatemala City.

As the liberal Federation crumbled into civil war due to the influence of the Guatemalan conservatives and the regular clergy, who had been expelled from Central America after Francisco Morazán's bloody invasion of Guatemala in 1829, Los Altos declared itself an independent republic.

The independence of Los Altos from Guatemala was officially proclaimed on 2 February 1838. The Federal government recognized Los Altos as the sixth state of the union and seated the representatives of Los Altos in the Federal Congress on 5 June of that year. The flag of Los Altos was a modification of that of the Central American Union, with a central seal showing a volcano in the background with a quetzal (a local bird symbolizing liberty) in front. This was the first Central American flag to use the quetzal as a symbol; since 1871, it has been on the present flag of Guatemala.