Original Spanish verses to the song known as "La Cucaracha" may be found in "Crónicas de Una Cucaracha," Cucaracha
The tune is very old; a version published in 1883 concerns the wars against the Moors. The Mexican writer, José Joaquin Fernández de Lizardi, in a book published in 1818, perhaps introduced the song to México:
Un capitán de marina
que vino en una frigata
entre varios sonesitos
trajo el de "La Cucaracha."
In Spain, the song was used during the Carlist wars (1870s).
In Mexico, Napoleon III set Maximilian on the throne in Mexico. The song was used again:
Con las barbas de Forey
voy a hacer un vaquerillo,
pa' ponéselo al caballo
del valiente don Porfirio.

Versions in the postings of this thread date from the Mexican Revolution of 1913.

Perhaps someone with a better knowledge of Spanish would be kind enough to translate parts of this article to complete the story.