Plan of Agua Prieta

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The Plan of Agua Prieta (Spanish: Plan de Agua Prieta) was a manifesto, drawn up in the form of a plan, during the Mexican Revolution.

Drafted and signed by supporters of Gen. Álvaro Obregón, the Plan rejected the government of President Venustiano Carranza. It was proclaimed by Obregón on 23 April 1920, in the northern border city of Agua Prieta, Sonora. The Plan's avowed pretext for rejecting the Carranza administration was a dispute between the federal government and the Sonora state government over control of the waters of the Río Sonora, although the underlying reasons included a string of personal interests and political conflicts, including the defeat of Obregón and his party in the 1920 presidential election by Ignacio Bonillas, Carranza's (civilian) chosen successor.

In addition to withdrawing support from Carranza's federal government, the plan also refused to recognise the results of local elections in the states of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Querétaro, and Tamaulipas, and the governor of the state of Nayarit. It offered to refrain from entering into combat with the authorities, provided that they refrained from attacking the Liberal Constitutionalist Army, headed by Adolfo de la Huerta, at the time governor of Sonora. The plan empowered de la Huerta to appoint interim governors in those states that aligned with or defeated by the Liberal Constitutionalist Army. It called on the state governments to appoint representatives to a junta, which would then select an interim President of the Republic. The interim president would, immediately upon assuming office, call a fresh general election.

Support for the Plan was widespread across the country: more than three-quarters of the Army rejected Carranza and joined the rebellion. As de la Huerta's Liberal Constitutionalist Army made rapid progress toward Mexico City, Carranza refused to negotiate or surrender and fled the capital by train in May 1920, headed for the port of Veracruz, where he intended to set up a temporary seat of government.

The railway convey was attacked repeatedly as it left the capital and, arriving at Aljibes, Puebla, was unable to continue because of sabotage to the tracks. In addition, Carranza then learned that the military commander of Veracruz, Gen. Guadalupe Sánchez, had gone over to the rebels. Carranza and a small group of followers were forced to change plans: they would head north, perhaps to Carranza's home state of Coahuila, where his support might be stronger. On horseback they began a crossing of the Sierra Norte, and, on 20 May, reached the town of Tlaxcalantongo, Puebla. A rebel ambush in the early hours of 21 May 1920, reputedly led by Gen. Rodolfo Herrera, left President Carranza dead.

Adolfo de la Huerta was appointed interim president. He served from 1 June to 30 November 1920, and was succeeded by Álvaro Obregón.