Guillermo Tell Villegas
Encyclopedia
Guillermo Tell Villegas (Valencia, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, 1823 - Valencia, 21 March 1907), was interim President of Venezuela in 1868, 1870 and 1892.

Early career

His political career begins during the Federal War
Federal War
The Federal War - also known as the Great War or the Five Year War - was a civil war in Venezuela between the conservative party and the liberal party about the monopoly of the conservatives of the land and the government positions, and their reluctance to grant any reforms. This drove the...

, after graduating as lawyer at the Central University of Venezuela
Central University of Venezuela
The Central University of Venezuela is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas...

. In 1859 was designated governor of Barinas
Barinas (state)
Barinas State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barinas. Current President Hugo Chávez was born in this state...

, and in 1863, delegated in the Assembly of La Victoria. Later on July, evolved like subsecretary of Home Affairs and Justice during the government of Juan Crisóstomo Falcón
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón
Juan Crisóstomo Falcón y Zavarce , was the 20th President of Venezuela as well as military commander during the Federal War. Member of the Liberal party, first served as the supreme chief of a rebel movement in August 1859, but the rebellion was soon crushed. After the Coche treaty, is recognized...

, in August is named Minister of Home Affairs and Justice, and is in charge temporarily of the Ministry of Outer Relations, due to the absence of Antonio Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Leocadio Guzmán Blanco was President of Venezuela for three separate terms, from 1870–1877, from 1879–1884, and from 1886–1887....

. One of his most important profits being minister of Home Affairs and Justice, was the elaboration of a decree of Constitutional Guarantees, in which the capital punishment, the exile and prison for the political enemies of the government were eliminated, being guaranteed the freedom of expression.

In 1864, was designated member of the Federal Court and two years later, member of the Supreme Federal Court. In 1867, disappointed by the regime of Falcón, participates next to Pedro Ezequiel Rojas, Elías Rojas, Martin Sanabria and José Antonio Mosquera in the revolution known like La Genuina, directed by Luciano Mendoza. At the beginning of 1868, before the imminent outbreak of the Revolución Azul (Blue Revolution), Villegas acts like vice-president of a meeting of 1000 people carried out at the Caracas theater, with the purpose of conciliate the position of the Falcón government with the exigencies of the Blue Revolution, led by Miguel Antonio Rojas and José Tadeo Monagas
José Tadeo Monagas
José Tadeo Monagas Burgos was President of Venezuela 1847-1851 and 1855–1858, and a hero of the Venezuelan War of Independence...

.

Charges in government and provisional presidencies

On April, 1868, is designated president of the House of Representatives at the Venezuelan congress, where is openly against the government of Falcón. From the triumph on June, 1868 of the Blue Revolution, became an important figure of the new government, being designated as minister of Outer Relations, president of the Council of Government, and being in charge of the presidency of the Republic, on 28 June 1868. Having an important work at the amnesty to political prisoners, granting and declaring effective the Federal Constitution of 1864, the union of parties, vindication of citizen rights, practice of the genuine federal right and the complete abolition of the regime established by Falcón.

Like president, decreed official honors to the remains of general Ezequiel Zamora
Ezequiel Zamora
Ezequiel Zamora , 1 February 1817 - 10 January 1860) was a Venezuelan soldier and leader of the Federalists in the Federal War of 1859-1863. His life was marked by the romanticism that characterized liberals of the time....

, honors and repatriation to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

 from New York City of the remains of José María Vargas
José María Vargas
José María Vargas was the 4th President of Venezuela from 1835–1836.-Life and career:...

, honors to the memory of general José Gregorio Monagas
José Gregorio Monagas
José Gregorio Monagas was President of Venezuela 1851-1855 and brother of José Tadeo Monagas.General José Gregorio Monagas was born in Aragua de Barcelona, Venezuela, in 1795. His parents were Francisco José Monagas, a merchant from the Canary Islands, and Perfecta Burgos, a native of Cojedes...

, the installation of a statue of Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...

 in the main square of Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...

, the availability of 13000 pesos for the support of the national schools, the pardon to the political figures of the events of 1868, and the creation of the “Presidency of Cabinet”. On February, 1869, gives the presidency to José Ruperto Monagas
José Ruperto Monagas
José Ruperto Monagas was President of Venezuela between 1869-1870. Also, he was a son of José Tadeo Monagas.-Biography:...

, and on September, 1869, becomes Ministry of Home Affairs. In 1870, is in charge again of the presidency, when José Ruperto Monagas fought against the Revolución Liberal (Liberal Revolution), led by Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Leocadio Guzmán Blanco was President of Venezuela for three separate terms, from 1870–1877, from 1879–1884, and from 1886–1887....

. However, the triumph of the movement commanded by Guzmán, will retired Villegas of politics. On 1876, founds the school La Paz along with his nephew Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido
Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido
Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido , was a Venezuelan lawyer, journalist and politician. Acting president of Venezuela in 1892, during the crisis of the Revolución Legalista , led by Joaquín Crespo....

, from where a big educative work. In 1884 writes a Castilian Grammar book, and in 1887 is the author of Homófonos de la lengua castellana.

Later career and third provisional presidency

In 1889, like commissioner by the National Executive, presents a report to the minister of Public Instruction for the formation of a book catalogue of popular instruction in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

. In 1889 is designated minister of Public Instruction by the government of Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl
Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl
Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl was President of Venezuela from 1888 to 1890. He was the first civilian president who was elected by constitutional procedures in 50 years, and the only one who could finish his term properly, until 74 years later.Elected by Antonio Guzmán like his successor, Rojas tried to...

. In 1892, is designated president of the Federal Council in the government of Raimundo Andueza Palacio, in this charge, he assume the temporary presidency of the Republic during the outbreak of the Revolución Legalista (Legalist Revolution) directed by Joaquín Crespo
Joaquín Crespo
Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo Torres was a politician, soldier, a member of the Great Liberal Party of Venezuela and President of Venezuela from 1884 to 1886 and again from 1892 to 1898...

. After the end of Andueza's government, and the triumph of the movement led by Crespo, Villegas leaves to exile, to return definitively distant of politics. In 1895, his most important work is published: Primer libro venezolano de literatura, ciencias y bellas artes. On 6 October 1901, was incorporated like individual of number of the National Academy of History, which could not be carried out due to his age.

See also

  • Venezuela
    Venezuela
    Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

  • Presidents of Venezuela
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