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San Antonino Castillo Velasco

San Antonino Castillo Velasco is a town and municipality located south of the city of Oaxaca, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region Its population is less than 5,000, but it was the scene of a number of violent confrontations in the 2000s. The town is known for its crafts, especially fine embroidery and items made with a flower known as flor inmortal, so called because it does not lose its color when it is dried. The name San Antonino is in honor of Anthony of Padua, who is the town's patron saint. “Castillo Velasco” was added in honor of José María Castillo Velasco, who was born here in 1820 and played important roles in the Reform War and French Intervention in Mexico.

History
The town was founded in 1649 by Nicolás Hernández, Martín Ángel Toledo and Manuel Salmerón on lands which had been granted to their families earlier in the colonial era. The settlement was officially declared a town in 1889. The early years of the 21st century have been a time of conflict and violence for the municipality. The police commander of the municipality was assassinated in 2003. The events of the 2006 Oaxaca protests have had serious impact on the municipality, In 2006, the municipal palace was taken by APPO sympathizers who accused the municipal government of serious irregularities and corruption. A general assembly was called and the disavowal of municipal government was approved, replacing it with the “Ayuntamiento Popular de San Antonino Castillo Velasco” (People's City Council of San Antonino Castillo Velasco). This government immediately declared sympathy with APPO and Section 22 of the SNTE teachers’ union. This event divided the residents of the community, A rock smashed the window of the main door of the house of Gonzalo Alonso García, who was recognized by the PRI as the municipal president in 2006, This situation remained until the municipal elections of 2007, which required extra security. Since the early 2000s, there has been a boundary dispute between San Antonino and Ocotlán de Morelos. At that time, Ocotlán sold an area called “Barratillo de Ocotlán” to San Antonino, but the exact boundaries of the land sold have been in dispute ever since. In 2003, there was a confrontation between the two municipalities over that area, but a more significant one occurred in 2009. The confrontation was sparked by the placement of a sign on Federal Highway 175 by the Secretariat of Communication and Transportation and the municipality of San Antonino to indicate the latter's existence to travelers. However, Ocotlán claims the land on which the sign was being erected. The confrontation resulted in injuries to both parties and the use of tear gas by the state police to break it up. The social unrest since 2006 has hurt local craftsmen as tourists and other buyers are scared away by the violence. ==The town and its crafts==
The town and its crafts
San Antonio is a Zapotec community, which is a suburb of Ocotlán de Morelos. The town also has a “casa de cultura,” literally “house of culture,” called the Casa De La Cultura El Jardín del Valle. This is a cultural center for residents, which offers classes in theatre, music, sculpture, painting and ceramics. It also hosts exhibits. There are two market days, Friday and Sunday. On these days, San Antonino's locally renowned breads are more available although they are often sold out by the afternoon. While craft stores are not common here like in other towns, crafts such as embroidered clothing and items made with dried flowers can be seen on these days. The two main crafts of this town are embroidered clothing and arrangements and decorations with dried flowers. Most of the clothing which is embroidered is for women, but there are embroidered shirts for men as well. The dresses are the most expensive and most coveted and are used mostly by indigenous women of the area. They are often called “Oaxacan wedding dresses” and are marked by their intricate designs with animas and flowers. These dresses sell at a minimum of US$100. Most embroiderers learn the craft from their mothers and grandmothers, Pieces of this style are on display at the Textile Museum of Oaxaca. The museum was organized by sisters Reina Cornelio Sánchez and Antonina Cornelio Sánchez. The purpose of the museum is to promote the craft and appreciation of it. One other craft here is basketry, especially those items made in association with flor inmortal arrangements. ==The municipality==
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of San Antonino Castillo Velazco is the governing authority over the communities of Lachicuvica, Esquina de la Piedra, La Azucena and El Zompantle, as well as unsettled lands with total an area of 33.17km2. The main river is the Atoyac. Mezcal and various crafts are made, but this only employs about 12% of the population. A large part of the population (46%) is employed in commerce. ==External links==
Source: Wikipedia ↗
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