Cubulco

Cubulco is a small town, with a population of 10,681 (2018 census), located in the Guatemalan department of Baja Verapaz, at 15.10833°N, -90.63056°W. It serves as the administrative seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipality covers an area of 711 km² and has a population of 54,869 (2018).

Before the Spanish conquest
Worried about the defection of the aj K'ub'ul family chief -who had taken his family away in order to look for fertile and, above all, pacific land which eventually became the modern Cubulco-, the K'iche' king sent a group of soldiers to control every single movement of them. He was afraid that the aj K'ub'ul would look for reinforcements from other ethnic group in the area to form a strong army and then attack the k'iche's. The warriors settled to the east of the aj K'ub'ul and since the latter had moved away to look for peace and tranquility, they were a very peaceful community. And that is exactly what the warriors inform the K'iche' king, reassuring him by telling that he should not worry about the exiled group, as they were really peaceful.

As time went by, the k'iche' warriors realized that the aj K'ub'ul life was very different from the one they were used to have under the ruling of their king, as they simple worked on their land and crops and then enjoyed their families without having to worry about being invaded or called to fight in a war. Therefore, they went back to their place of origin, Tujalj (Sacapulas and Canillá)), but only to pick up their families and set out again to settle a new community where they were once stationed to keep an eye on the aj K'ub'ul.

Pacific conquest by the Dominican friars
On his second visit to Guatemala, in 1537, friar Bartolomé de las Casas, O.P. wanted to employ his new method of conversion based on two principles: 1) to preach the Gospel to all men and treat them as equals, and 2) to assert that conversion must be voluntary and based on knowledge and understanding of the Faith. It was important for Las Casas that this method be tested without meddling from secular colonists, so he chose a territory in the heart of Guatemala where there were no previous colonies and where the natives were considered fierce and war-like. Because the land had not been possible to conquer by military means, the governor of Guatemala, Alonso de Maldonado, agreed to sign a contract promising that if the venture was successful he would not establish any new encomiendas in the area. Las Casas's group of friars established a Dominican presence in Rabinal, Sacapulas and Cobán, reaching as far as Chahal and including Cubulco. Through the efforts of Las Casas' missionaries the so-called "Land of War" came to be called "Verapaz", "True Peace". Las Casas's strategy was to teach Christian songs to merchant Indian Christians who then ventured into the area. In this way he was successful in converting several native chiefs, among them those of Atitlán and Chichicastenango, and in building several churches in the territory named Alta Verapaz. These congregated a group of Christian Indians in the location of what is now the town of Rabinal. In 1538 Las Casas was recalled from his mission by Bishop Francisco Marroquín who wanted him to go to Mexico and then on to Spain in order to seek more Dominicans to assist in the mission.

Cubulco's Catholic church was erected in the 1540 and was dedicated to Saint James.

Municipality
As of 1850, four years after it was elevated to a municipality, Cubulco had an estimated population of 4,000.

Population
The local people are predominantly Achi Maya Native Americans who speak the Achi Maya language.

Climate
Cubulco has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw).

Geographic location
Cubulco is at the geographic center of Guatemala and is one of the most visited spots in the whole country.