Plan of Iguala

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The Plan de Iguala — the Iguala Plan, also known as Plan of the Three Guarantees (Plan Trigarante) — was proclaimed on 24 February 1821, in the final stage of Mexico's War of Independence from Spain. The plan attempted to establish a constitutional foundation upon which an independent Mexican Empire would be based. It took its name from the city of Iguala in the modern-day state of Guerrero.

The Plan de Iguala had three main goals: the establishment of one national religion, Roman Catholicism; the proclamation of Mexico's independence; and social equality for all social and ethnic groups in the new country. These goals were summarized as "Religion, Independence and Unity" ("Religión, Independencia y Unión").

Mexico was to become a constitutional monarchy, modelled after the European monarchies of the time. The Plan also called for the equality of all inhabitants of Mexico, granting them equal rights in court and in every aspect of their lives.

The two main figures behind the Plan were Agustín de Iturbide (who would become Emperor of Mexico) and Vicente Guerrero, insurgent leader and later President of Mexico. The Army of the Three Guarantees was set up to defend the ideals of the Plan de Iguala, and consisted of the unified military forces of these two men. On 24 August 1821, Iturbide and Spanish Viceroy Juan O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba in Córdoba, Veracruz, ratifiying the Plan de Iguala and thus confirming Mexico's independence.

[edit] Aftermath

The Spanish Cortes meeting in Madrid on 13 February 1822, resolved to declare the Treaty of Córdoba "illegal, null, and void, as respects the Spanish government". However as far as the new Mexican government was concerned, following O'Donojú's acceptance of the Plan the country was now independent. This forced Spain to attempt to reconquer its colony in the ensuing years, unsuccessfully.

Following the fall of Iturbide's empire, the Mexican Congress disavowed both the Plan and the Treaty of Córdoba as the basis for government on 8 April 1823. A new constitutional convention was called which led to the adoption of the 1824 Constitution of Mexico on 4 October 1824.