Iturbide

Iturbide is a surname of Basque origin. The name appears in various Spanish-speaking contexts and is most commonly associated with the Mexican political and military figure Agustín de Iturbide, who played a central role in the country’s transition from colony to independent state and briefly served as its emperor.

Agustín de Iturbide (1783–1824) was born in Valladolid, New Spain (today Morelia, Michoacán). He pursued a military career in the Royalist army during the early phases of the Mexican struggle for independence. By 1820 he had risen to high rank and, in alliance with insurgent leader Vicente Guerrero, helped broker the Plan de Iguala (1821), which proclaimed Mexican independence, established the Army of the Three Guarantees (independence, Catholicism, and unity), and set the stage for a constitutional monarchy.

Following the consolidation of independence, Iturbide was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico as Agustín I in 1822. His brief reign sought to centralize power and balance federal and conservative interests but faced persistent opposition from liberal and federalist factions. In 1823 he abdicated the throne and went into exile, returning to Europe, where he died in 1824.

The Iturbide surname is also associated with other family members and figures in Mexican and regional history, though Agustín de Iturbide remains the most widely recognized bearer. His legacy is contested: he is remembered for both contributing to independence and for initiating a short-lived imperial experiment that preceded the establishment of the Mexican Republic.