Jesús Salgado

Jesús Salgado (February 5, 1873 – February 14, 1920) was a revolutionary leader and soldier in the Mexican Revolution, sometimes called the "Guerrero Zapata". He initially supported Francisco Madero but in 1911 threw his support behind Emiliano Zapata and remained loyal to the Zapatista cause until his death in 1919.

Early life Salgado was born to Ponciano Salgado and Maria de Jesus Hernandez, a middle-class family, in the village of Los Sauces in the district of Teloloapan in Guerrero in 1873.

In November 1911 the archaeologist and mineralogist William Niven passed through Guerrero and was stopped by Salgado's rebels. Learning of his presence, Salgado expressed an interest in meeting the famous explorer but by the time Salgado's courier reached Niven, he had gone too far down the Balsas river. Salgado however guaranteed Niven free passage through his territory. A later encounter between Niven and Salgadistas, while tense (the rebels "bought" the explorers' weapons) ended amicably with both parties exchanging cries of "Viva Salgado!".

Independent chief in Guerrero Initially, he remained more or less an independent guerrilla leader, although he generally supported and admired Zapata. Unsatisfied with Madero's actions as president, Salgado remained in the field in 1912 and led a 3,000 strong rebel army in the southern state of Oaxaca in an agrarian uprising. As a result, many of his soldiers engaged in immediate seizures and generally were a lot more undisciplined than other Zapatista troops. In 1914, he joined the fight against the coup d'état of Victoriano Huerta. In early February 1914 he was charged by Zapata with planning the attack on the capital of Guerrero, Chilpancingo. He subsequently led 5,000 Zapatista troops in the successful taking of the capital. After the battle, he was made the provisional governor of Guerrero based on Article 13 of the Plan of Ayala.

Death Salgado died February 14, 1920, in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, fighting the troops of Carranza.