Los negocios de un diplomático : Matías Romero en Chiapas

Abstract

En este artículo se analiza a Matías Romero como político liberal en el México del Siglo XIX, colaborador del presidente Benito Juárez; como diplomático negociador en Washington del Tratado de límites entre México y Guatemala, durante 1882; y de manera especial, como empresario cafetalero en la región del Soconusco, en Chiapas. Con el objetivo de ofrecer un panorama de las actividades económicas de Matías Romero y explicar cómo sus intereses privados se vincularon con su actividad diplomática, se examina su relación con Justo Rufino Barrios, presidente de Guatemala, así como sus negocios ferrocarrileros con Ulysses S. Grant. En particular, se destaca su interés en favorecer el desarrollo económico del país, al tiempo que promovía sus negocios personales.

In this article, Matías Romero is studied as a liberal politician who lived in Mexico in the nineteenth century and collaborated with president Benito Juárez; as a diplomat who negotiated in Washington the treaty of Boundaries between Mexico and Guatemala during 1882; and specially, as a coffee entrepreneur in the soconusco region, in Chiapas. In order to offer a panoramic vision of Matías Romero’s economic activities and to explainhow his private interests were linked to his diplomatic performance, his relationship with Justo Rufino Barrios, president of Guatemala, and his railway investments with Ulysses S. Grant are mainly is examined, as well as his interest in favoring Mexico’s economic development, while he promoted his personal businesses.