Boulevards, Festivities, and Earthquakes: The Making of Guatemala City, 1880–1920.

This article analyzes the socio-political and urban-cultural transformation of Guatemala City between 1871 and 1920 during the liberal reform period, highlighting how successive authoritarian regimes used urban redevelopment to legitimize their power and promote secular, capitalist values. Focusing on the roles of Presidents Justo Rufino Barrios, José María Reyna Barrios, and Manuel Estrada Cabrera, the study examines the creation of new public spaces—such as the Boulevard 30 de junio (now Reforma Avenue), Reforma Park, and the Minerva Temple—and their function in fostering urban segregation and excluding Indigenous populations, particularly through land expropriation and privatization. Drawing on Henri Lefebvre's theory of the social production of space and diverse primary sources, the article reveals how urban modernization prioritized monumental aesthetics and political symbolism over essential public health infrastructure, with these transformations abruptly halted by the devastating earthquakes of 1917–1918. The research underscores the complex interplay between urban planning, political authority, and social exclusion in the formation of Guatemala City's modern identity.