In September 1897, after the failure of both the interoceanic railroad and the Central American Expo and the deep economic crisis that Guatemala was facing after the plummeting international prices of both coffee and silver, the people of Quetzaltenango raised in arms against the decision of president José María Reina Barrios to extend his presidential term until 1902.

He owned at least ten estates in his area of operations, centered in San Marcos city, and provided numerous jobs, in addition to cultivating local support by throwing parties and sponsoring beauty contests.

[7] San Marcos is one of the most important regions in Guatemala given its proximity to the highlands, Mexico and to the Pacific Ocean coast, where most of the drugs coming from South America land.

He is thought to have worked out a deal that made him the Sinaloa Cartel's top transporter, helping the Mexican group move drugs that arrived via Pacific routes.

[7] The city is home of the football club Deportivo Marquense who play in Guatemala's Premier League in the Estadio Marquesa de la Ensenada.