Complaint to the Viceroy Marques de Cerralvo by Antonio Rodríguez de Mendoza - 1633

14 folios + 1 blank. 2 signatures of the Viceroy Marques de Cerralvo.

Antonio Rodríguez de Mendoza, cacique of the village of San Lorenzo Teotipilco, district of Tehuacán sends a complaint to the Viceroy Marques de Cerralvo,

The complaint states that a group of Spaniards are trying to take over the Indian lands, so they cause many wrongs to the Indians. They go inside their land and kidnap the workers and take them to their own land, they introduce their livestock in Indian land to destroy their crops. The Viceroy issues an order to the governor of Tehuacán to stop the Spaniards from trying to take away the Indian lands, and to stop them from causing them any further wrongs.

The Indians present this order to the Governor, who was a friend of the Spaniards and he kept the Viceroys' order. They went to complain to the Alcalde Mayor, but the Spaniards were with him and they insulted the Indians, calling them drunk dogs, then taking out their daggers and swords they pushed the Indians, not caring they were in presence of the Alcalde Mayor. One of the Spaniards, Francisco García, steward of Doña Isabel de Bonilla, threatened Antonio Rodriguez saying he will kill him, attacked him with his dagger and stabbed him in the stomach. They tried to open a criminal case but the Governor didn´t let them, since he was partner with the other Spaniards trying to take away the Indian lands.

The Viceroy issues an order to the Alcalde Mayor of Tehuacán not to allow the Governor, Spaniards nor any other persons to take away the Indian land, water, saltworks and that the Alcalde Mayor gives a warning to the Spaniards of serious penalties if they continue to do wrongs to the Cacique, either by word or by deed, and not to allow them to stop the Cacique from taking care of his Indians. He also instructs him to start an enquire of all the wrongs that the Spaniards have made to the Indians and to punish them for these actions. The Alcalde Mayor needs to send a report of his actions showing he has followed the Viceroy's instructions.