Ángel Martínez (general)

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Ángel Martínez, better known as Machetero or El Machete, was a Mexican general who played a major role in the wars of the 19th century, especially during the Second French Intervention and the Yaqui Wars. Born around 1837 in Jalisco—though the exact town is disputed—he began his military career in Tepic and joined the National Guard in 1856.

Martínez rose quickly through the ranks, fighting under Colonel Ramón Corona against French forces and the Mexican Empire. He organized his own fast-moving guerrilla units and earned a fearsome reputation for aggressive, often ruthless warfare. His cavalry, armed with machetes, earned him the nickname Machetero. He helped recapture and fight across areas in Sinaloa and Sonora, including Hermosillo and other key towns, and he was involved in numerous actions during the Reform War and the French Intervention.

His career also included a controversial episode: during a period in Mazatlán he took funds from the customs office and fled to San Francisco to educate himself. He later joined the Prussian Army in the Franco‑Prussian War and fought in Paris. Juárez later prosecuted him for the Mazatlán incident, but amnesty was granted after Lerdo de Tejada became president. He returned to Mexico, settled in Colima, and entered politics, serving as a federal deputy (1873) and senator for Colima (1875 and 1880–1904).

In the 1880s, Martínez again took an active military role, directing the 1st Military Zone in Sonora during the Yaqui Wars and ordering the execution of Cajemé to restore order. He retired from the army in 1889 and died in Colima on May 22, 1904.