Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña He was born in Tixtla, Guerrero on August 10, 1782. Military from a family of peasants and muleteers of mestizo origin, he joined the independence movement after being convinced by Hermenegildo Galeana. He is sent to take Taxco by Jose Maria Morelos and given his victory and his talent as a military man, he was promoted to captain and instructed in the handling of weapons, the manufacture of gunpowder and war strategies. Take part in the conquest of Oaxaca and is promoted to lieutenant colonel. Guerrero was a display of militarism in any military action he starred in.
Talent was reflected in his actions. He is sent by Morelos to reinforce the southern coastal zone, where he conquers Puerto Escondido, Santa Cruz de Huatulco and participates in the taking of Acapulco. He is sent to Mixteca to support the insurgent forces of Juan N. Rosáins Y Ramon Sesma. The speed and effectiveness of his attacks give him enormous fame as guerrilla. After a time he retreated to the Sierra del Sur with the execution of Morelos. Rosáins and Sesma accept the government’s pardon and Viceroy Apodaca tries to coerce Guerrero to be accepted, answering him with a resounding no. In 1818, General Guerrero, being known as general in chief of the army of the South, maintained contact with Pedro Ascencio in Iguala and Taxco. After two years, Colonel Agustín Iturbide is assigned the task of viceroy to stop the insurgency, but he goes to the opposite side and drafts the Plan of Equal that demands independence and stability in the Mexican Government.
Iturbide proclaims himself Emperor of Mexico and his opponent, General Guerrero, takes up arms to overthrow him. Supports President Guadalupe Victoria and joins the York Masonic Lodge. Years later he is named constitutional president but his opponents manage to dismiss him and he antagonizes Anastasio Bustamante who is threatened by Guerrero. He is ambushed and imprisoned and shot in Cuilapan on February 14, 1831. His remains rest in the Column of Independence in Mexico City until May 30, 2010, where they are transferred to the National Museum of History for conservation and analysis. He is known for his phrase; “My country is First”.