The Lenca rebellion of 1537 and 1538 was one of the most important indigenous uprisings against the Spanish conquest in Central America. Centered in the mountainous region of Cerquín, in present-day western Honduras, it was led by the Lenca leader Lempira, who succeeded in assembling a coalition of numerous Lenca communities to resist Spanish expansion, forced labor, and the establishment of colonial rule. Taking advantage of the rugged terrain, the rebels fortified strategic hilltops and launched attacks against Spanish detachments, disrupting communications and delaying the consolidation of Spanish authority. Although colonial sources provide widely varying estimates of the size of the coalition, modern scholarship treats these figures with caution owing to the limited and exclusively Spanish documentary record. The rebellion collapsed following Lempira’s death in Spring 1538 during the Spanish assault to the Peñol de Cerquín. According to the earliest and most widely accepted account, he was killed by a concealed Spanish arquebusier during what appeared to be negotiations, although later accounts present alternative versions. While organized resistance quickly fragmented after his death, smaller pockets of opposition continued for some time. The rebellion also extended beyond present-day Honduras. Lenca communities in eastern El Salvador appear to have launched related attacks against Spanish settlements, forming a regional extension of the same movement while retaining their own local dynamics – see the entry ‘Lenca resistance in El Salvador’. Obs: This AI-authored synopsis was reviewed and edited by the Editors to ensure accuracy and reliability. It should be understood as provisional, awaiting completion or replacement by one of our qualified contributors.