Municipality of Azacualpa
Azacualpa is a municipality in the department of Santa Barbara in Honduras.
Some historians say that Azacualpa means «refuge of thieves.» One writer explains that in the Mexican language, it means «In the pyramid.» Father Lonardi, in his work Etimología de Honduras, states that in the Mayan Nahuatl language, it means «Abandoned Village, Subsequently Inhabited.»
Location
The municipality of Azacualpa is located in the northern part of the Santa Barbara department, bordering the Republic of Guatemala. It is bordered to the south by the municipality of Macuelizo, to the east by the municipality of Quimistan, and to the west by the municipality of Nueva Frontera and the Republic of Guatemala.
Foundation
In the 1950s, the first efforts were made to make Azacualpa independent from the municipality of Macuelizo. At first, there was a major barrier, which was the refusal of the authorities of Macuelizo along with its people. However, for the luck of Azacualpa, a son of this community became Mayor. His name was José María Aquilar, who also became a key figure in the municipality’s independence.
On August 15, 1958, the auxiliary mayor Mr. Máximo Zavala and the precursor citizens of independence submitted the request to elevate the village of Azacualpa to the municipality category. The Minister of Governance and Justice at that time, Lawyer Ramón Valladares, and the constitutional president of the Republic, Dr. Ramón Villeda Morales, approved it through Resolution No. 33 dated May 16, 1960.
On May 22, 1960, the first historic Municipal Corporation of Azacualpa took office.
Villages
The municipality has the following ten villages:
- Azacualpa
- Agualote
- Buenos Aires
- El Naranjo
- El Pinabete
- Joconal
- Laguna Verde
- La Puerta
- Loma Alta
- San Antonio
