Miguel García Granados
Encyclopedia
President of Guatemala
The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz...
of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
from 29 June 1871 to 4 June 1873. He was an influential figure in the broad sweep of 19th century Guatemalan history
History of Guatemala
The history of Guatemala begins with the arrival of the first human settlers as early as 12,000 BC or even 18,000 BC. Civilization developed and flourished during the Pre-Columbian era with little to no contact with cultures from outside of Mesoamerica...
.
García-Granados was born in Puerto de Santa María, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and, as a young adolescent, was brought to Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. He was a member of a very wealthy family who had a profession of weapons. He visited several places at the age of twenty-three. The places included South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an continent, and the cities of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Philadelphia in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. García Granados completed his schooling in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
To Guatemalans, García Granados was known as a moderate liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. He had compromised with Rafael Carrera
Rafael Carrera
José Rafael Carrera Turcios was the ruler of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865. During his military career and presidency, the new nations in Central America faced numerous problems...
, and always wanted to get along with Vicente Cerna Sandoval
Vicente Cerna Sandoval
Vicente Cerna Sandoval was president of Guatemala from 24 May 1865 to 29 June 1871....
, his successor. Failing to get along and known to be sympathetic with the revolt against the government, García Granados fled to exile and was supported by Guatemalan liberals. After going back to Guatemala, García Granados became the leader of the revolution against General Vicente Cerna, eventually becoming known as its philosopher. García Granados played a key part in the regime of Justo Rufino Barrios
Justo Rufino Barrios
Justo Rufino Barrios was a President of Guatemala known for his liberal reforms and his attempts to reunite Central America....
, the founder of "the army of 45 men". He served as a provisional president from 1871 to 1873 after the liberal victory of Guatemala City. Despite many difficulties, García Granados wanted to regularize the government by constructing a lawful regime. Following in 1872, the president invaded Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, where he decreed freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
and expelled the Jesuits.
It seemed the complete aim of García Granados and his successor, Barrios, was to have as many liberal revolts as possible. During his presidency, García Granados created, by decree, the Guatemalan flag which remains almost identical to his version, produced in 1871. After García Granados stepped down, Barrios served as president until the mid-1870s.
Sources
- Jones, Christopher L. Guatemala: Past and Present. Russell & Russell, 1966
- Rosenthal, Mario. Guatemala: The story of an emergent Latin American Democracy. Twayne, 1962