Internal strife in the Central American Federation

Before independence, the United Province of Central America was a region with complex social structure. In Guatemala and El Salvador, where the land is fertile and the labor force is abundant, Spanish landlords have established a strong feudal structure based on big landlords. Honduras and Nicaragua, which are relatively barren, have developed commercial and trade economies. Costa Rica attracted Spanish immigrants who lacked capital and established a more democratic political structure based on European farmers. After independence, the country is divided into conservative groups and liberal groups. The former advocates the establishment of a strong centralized government, safeguarding the privileges of churches and soldiers, and maintaining the old land ownership. The latter advocated the federalism of decentralization to the provinces, abolished the privilege of clergy and implemented land reform. In terms of natural conditions, there is a lack of means of transportation among Central American provinces, and the local concept of each region is deeply rooted, which leads to the envy of local towns and villages to the national capital, which leads to civil strife and eventually leads to the division of the United provinces.

1825, Manuel Jose Arce was elected president by the first parliament, and he tried to resist the influence of liberals with the support of the Guatemalan archbishop. Because El Salvador carried out many anti-church social reforms and spread liberal ideas from France, he sent troops to invade El Salvador, which triggered a civil war. Francisco morazan, one of the leaders of the Liberal Party, defeated Arce's army and liberated El Salvador. Then, with the assistance of Nicaragua and Honduras, they invaded Guatemala and exiled the archbishop of Guatemala. President Arce fled to Mexico. Liberals won control of the country. Former Guatemalan Governor Jose Francisco Valendia became the transitional president, while Morazan was elected president with 1830.

During morazan's administration, he carried out social reform by confiscating church property, abolished tithes, established schools and hospitals to attract foreign immigrants, and planned to dig the Nicaragua Canal. But the exiled conservatives got the support of Spain and launched a rebellion in El Salvador, which made them quit the alliance. With the help of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Morazan recovered El Salvador in 1832.

1834, the capital of the Central American Federation moved from Guatemala City to San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. In the new presidential election, Jose Desvallees won, but died before taking office, so morazan continued to serve as president. His strict rule began to arouse people's dissatisfaction. 1836 to 1837, cholera broke out in Guatemala. Conservatives spread rumors to Indians through the church that "liberals intend to destroy Indians and seize their land through cholera", which triggered riots in Guatemala. 1838, the Guatemalan Indian army led by rafael carreira defeated the government army, and morazan fled to El Salvador.