García Guerra

Most Reverend García Guerra
Archbishop of Mexico
Archbishop-Viceroy Fray García Guerra
Church	Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Mexico
Predecessor	García de Santa María Mendoza y Zúñiga
Successor	Juan Pérez de la Serna
Personal details
Born	1547 Frómista, Palencia, Spain
Died	February 22, 1612 Mexico City
Nationality	Spanish

Fray García Guerra (also Francisco García Guerra), OP (c. 1547, Frómista, Palencia, Spain – February 22, 1612, Mexico City), archbishop of Mexico and viceroy of New Spain. He held the former office from December 3, 1607 and the latter from June 19, 1611. He still occupied both offices at the time of his death in 1612.

He became a Dominican in the Spanish monastery of San Pablo de Valladolid, where he served as prior and principal of the province. In 1607 Philip III named him archbishop of Mexico.

In 1611 a letter was received in Mexico City from Spain ordering the sitting viceroy, Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas to return to Spain to take charge of the Council of the Indies, and directed García Guerra to fill the position of viceroy until the appointment of another. The letter stipulated that Velasco was to remain in charge of the viceregal government until his actual departure from the colony. Velasco left the city on June 10, 1611 and Archbishop Guerra retired to Tacubaya to await the news of his sailing from Veracruz.

This news was received on June 18, 1611 and on the following day Guerra made his solemn entry into the capital. He was mounted on a fiery charger, beneath a canopy whose poles were carried by the councilors of the city, on foot and dressed in crimson velvet. Accompanying the archbishop were the members of the Audiencia and the tribunals, the royal officials, and the noblest and richest residents of the colony. The procession stopped first at the cathedral, where a solemn Te Deum was sung, and then passed to the viceregal palace, where Guerra officially took office.

As viceroy, he worked to find funds to improve the drainage system of Mexico City, the desagüe. He received a scientific report from the noted mathematician Ildefonso Arias that the project could not succeed because of the subterranean connection to the Río Acolhuacán.

He also attempted to restore ownership of land to Indians, where it had been usurped. He was not successful either, due to his short time in office and the strong opposition of the holders of encomiendas and latifundios, landed estates.