Cuitláhuac

Ivan del Rivero

Little is known about the life and work of Cuitláhuac, the historical information is exceedingly scarce. What we know is due to the oral tradition recovered by the chroniclers of indigenous descent from the 17th century, among whom are Hernando de Alvarado Tezozómoc and Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin, as well as a handful of chronicles of the Conquest that were preserved and compiled years later.

His most remembered feat occurred more than 500 years ago when he led the Mexicas to defeat the troops of Cortés and his Tlaxcaltecan allies in the so-called Sad Night. Various stories and legends have been woven around this battle, the truth is that that night solidified Cuitláhuac, illustrious Iztapalapan and tremendous strategist, as the only victor over the Spaniards during the Conquest.

He has never been given the proper value for his vision of leadership and his honor in defending his land, perhaps that is why his roundabout, in the middle of Paseo de la Reforma, is not so recognized or visited. The Glorieta de Cuitláhuac is located near Tlatelolco, close to the Técpan, Cuauhtémoc, and Querétaro buildings. It is the tenth and last roundabout placed on the emblematic avenue, just before it bifurcates into the calzadas Misterios and Guadalupe.

The base of the monument was the work of architect Jesús Aguirre while the imposing bronze sculpture was the last work created by the Chihuahuan artist Ignacio Asúnsolo. The monument was inaugurated on November 21, 1964, and the project for the roundabout was completed in 1976. Since its foundation and to this day, it has been a space of memory that keeps alive the memory of an epic night, a stoic defense.