Information and Revolt: The Use of Communications and the Exercise of Power in the Tuxtla Riot of 1693

Abstract

In May 1693, the indian town of Tuxtla began a riot in which an Indian governor, the alcalde mayor of Chiapas, and his alguacil were killed. The local authorities had to find out about what had happened and coordinate their efforts to manage the calm and punishment of the mutineers, reporting it to the monarch subsequently. Starting from this particular case, in this paper we propose an approach to the reality of these communications and their role in the exercise of power. To do this, we will use as main sources the letters sent to the Consejo de Indias from American territory, whose content will allow us to reflect on the construction of the story about the events and their journey.