The name "Quetzaltepec" means "hill of the quetzal", a tiny bird with a large red and green tail that is now rare in the area.

Fruits are mango, oranges, limes, lemons, pineapple, mamey, guava, bananas, sugar cane, custard apple, sapodilla plum, mountain grape, avocado, cuajinicuil, chayote and peaches.

The main economic activity is coffee cultivation, with small-scale production of other crops and some animal husbandry.

[2] In June 2003 a group of Indian activists tried to seize the town hall, triggering in which three people died and ten were wounded.

[3] In February 2006 the town of San Juan Bosco Chuxnaban, which is in the municipality, was invaded by over 60 heavily armed state judicial police who used tear gas and gunfire during their arrest of three residents.