Villa de Mazo

Villa de Mazo is a town and a municipality on the island of La Palma, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It is situated in the southeastern part of the island. The population of the municipality is 4,858 (2013) and the area is 71.17 km². Villa de Mazo is 9 km south of the island capital Santa Cruz de La Palma. La Palma Airport is located on the coast of Villa de Mazo.SubdivisionsThe population data are as of 2013: Callejones (pop: 350) Lodero (pop: 470) Lomo Oscuro (pop: 260) Malpaises (Arriba) (pop: 149) Monte (pop: 147) Monte de Breña (pop: 528) Monte de Luna (pop: 375) Monte de Pueblo (pop: 232) Poleal (pop: 133)El Pueblo (pop: 532) La Rosa (pop: 367) La Sabina (pop: 280) San Simón (pop: 183) Tigalate (pop: 325) Tiguerorte (pop: 228) Malpaises (Abajo) (pop: 299)HistoryFrom the conquest of La Palma in 1492, Mazo and other rural parts of the island were governed from the town hall in Santa Cruz de la Palma. From 1768, local government in the form of so-called Ayuntamientos and presided by an elected Alcalde (equivalent of Mayor), was in place in Mazo. The municipal government in Mazo became formally independent in 1813. Originally the neighbouring municipality of Fuencaliente de La Palma formed part of the municipality of Mazo, but formed a separate municipality in 1837. Following the revolutionary upheavals of 1868, the first elections to the municipal government under the new electoral system (universal suffrage of males over 25) were held in Mazo in January 1869.