San Andrés Huaxpaltepec

Before the Spaniards arrived, Huaxpaltepec was under the Tututepec chiefdom and was one of seven Mixtec settlements in that domain. It served as a periodic market and exchange centre, comparable to Pinotepa la Chica and Juquila. In the colonial period it belonged to the Jicayán province, had an indigenous town council and, in 1547, an encomendero, Luis de Castilla, 73 tributaries and two barrios. The name appears as Huaxpaltepec in 1826 and as San Andrés Huaxpaltepec from 1844. During the Revolution, Carrancista and Zapatista forces fought here because of its position between Pinotepa and Jamiltepec.

Today it is the seat of the municipality of the same name, in the Jamiltepec district of the Costa region, at 236 m above sea level. The 2020 census counted 6,234 residents. The economy mixes services, about 38% of workers, farming and ranching, 30%, and commerce, 16%. Maize for home use is the main crop, with squash, chile and herbs; cattle are common and some groups produce organic honey. Women weave traditional cloth on backstrap looms.

The ritual calendar is long. There are mayordomía festivals for the Sacred Heart of Mary (31 May), the Sacred Heart of Jesus (30 June), Jesús de Nazaret or Tata Chú (6 August), Santa Teresa (15 October), San Andrés (27 to 30 November), Guadalupe (12 December) and the Niño Dios (24 December), plus Holy Week, Todos Santos and the fiestas of February and March. The main dances include the tortuga, mulita, tejorones, mascaritas and collantes, and the Mixtec fandango is danced as well.