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In 1914, an event took place that was known as “The Tampico Incident”, an event without importance that was utilized by the Mexican and United States governments run by Victoriano Huerta and Woodrow Wilson as a measure of pressure to reach their own objectives and caused a major international conflict. The American President, Wilson, was a little reserved on the raise to power of the Mexican Government by Victoriano Huerta after the latter overthrew President Madero and self proclaimed President on February 19th, 1913. This, added to the great influence on Huerta by European Governments, specifically the British Oil companies and the murder of the President Francisco I. Madero, the disbandment of the Congress, fraudulent elections and obscure performance antagonized Wilson who was looking for an excuse to intervene in a direct manner on the Mexican internal affairs and change the course of present developments.
President Wilson, who was looking for an excuse to intervene and sent troops to Mexican territory, considered the arrest as an insult to the American honor and demanded a satisfaction to the United States for the alleged offense that their troops were subjected. He insisted that a U.S. flag was raised in one of the Mexican Army forts or that the Mexican gunships anchored in the Pánuco River made a twenty-gun salute to the American flag giving President Huerta forty-eight hours to have his demand satisfied. At the deadline of this ultimatum given the non resolution of the American demands, and without a formal declaration of war, President Wilson ordered the American Fleet of the Gulf of Mexico under the command of Admiral Fletcher to occupy the Port facilities to prevent the German freighter Ypiranga to unload an arms shipment for the Mexican Federal Army shelling in addition the Port of Veracruz and its main square occupied by U.S. marines. This took place on April 21st, 1914 taking by surprise the inhabitants of the City of Veracruz that along with the cadets of the Naval Academy resisted the invasion surrendering after several hours of fighting.
Meanwhile, the Mexican civil war evolved in favor of Venustiano Carranza and the “Constitucionalista” insurgent army approached Mexico City. Huerta tried to convince Carranza to abandon the internal fight and join forces to fight the American invasion. Carranza however declined the invitation stating that He will fight both Huerta and the American forces at the same time. President Wilson tried to negotiate with Carranza but He maintained his promise of no negotiations until the American troops exit Mexico. On June, 1914, Huerta surrendered after the victory of the insurgent army in Zacatecas on the 24th and resigns the Presidency going in exile. At his resignation, Wilson accepted the withdrawal of the American troops in Mexico since he had already attained his objectives. In November 1914 the last American troops exited the Port of Veracruz .
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Articles from our 14th Edition Tampico, victim of Pirates, Bucaneers, and Privateers
León Trotsky in Tampico
Tampico Wakeboard City
Tajín Summit |
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On April 9th, 1914, a boat from the American battleship Dolphin, anchored in Tampico landed several armed U.S. marines that were later apprehended and disarmed by the Lieutenant Colonel Ramón H. Hinojosa, member of the Mexican Federal Army stationed in this city who in addition held them in prison, being freed short time later.
The Tampico incident was the excuse needed by the administration of President Wilson to intervene in Mexico’s and send troops to support the “Constitucionalista” forces opposing Huerta.
