El Progreso, Jutiapa

El Progreso, also El Progreso, Achuapa, is a municipality in the Jutiapa department of Guatemala. In 2012 the municipality had a population of 22,654. The Pan American Highway passes to the south of the main town, connecting it with Jutiapa, to the southwest. The Morán, Chiquito and Ostúa rivers flow through the municipality. The main items produced locally include cigars, leather products, furniture, tiles and mud bricks.HistoryEl Progreso municipality was created on 6 October 1884 under the government of General Justo Rufino Barrios. It appears as if there may well already have been a settlement called Achuapa on the site which then changed its name to El Progreso. The first settlers were the indigenous Pipiles, who grew maize, cacao and above all annatto in the Achuapa, Morán and Chiquito valleys. The name "Achuapa" appears to be derived from "achioti", the annatto-bearing achiote tree, and "pan" meaning place. Remains of the early settlers in the Achuapa Valley have been found along the banks of the Morán and Chiquito Rivers. On 24 January 1939, the government agreed to establish a Catholic Church feast day in early February to honor to the Virgin of Lourdes. The modern municipality was established by Article 3 of a government decree on 20 September 1987.