Pedro Alcántara Herrán
Encyclopedia
Pedro Alcántara Herrán Martínez de Zaldúa was a Colombia
n general and statesman who served as President
of the Republic of the New Granada between 1841 and 1845. As a general he served in the wars of independence of the New Granada and of Peru
.
, Viceroyalty of the New Granada, on October 19, 1800. He died in Bogotá
on April 26, 1872.
He was also the son-in-law of Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
.
as a teenager. He fought in several battles, and in the battle of Cuchilla del Tambo he was captured by the Spanish forces. He was court-martialed and sentenced to death by the military court. His death sentence was commuted in exchange for serving in the Spanish Army, which he did for five years. Later, he escaped and rejoined the revolutionary army of General Antonio José de Sucre
with the rank of captain.
Alcántara joined the armies of the southern campaigns in Nueva Granada and Perú. He fought in the battles of “Bomboná” (April 7, 1822), “Battle of Junín
” (August 6, 1824), and “Ayacucho
” (December 9, 1824), the last of the greatest battles of the independence war against Spain. Because of his valor and heroic actions in combat, General Bolívar promoted him to the rank of General in 1828. Later, he was commissioned as Military Chief of the province of Panamá
.
Alcántara’s best military performance was during the war of 1839, defending the government of José Ignacio de Márquez
against the revolt of General José María Obando
, due to the administration’s closure of the Catholic convents in the city of Pasto
. This victory propelled him to the political arena and he was nominated as presidential candidate by President Márquez.
, Ecuador
, the Holy See
, and Costa Rica
.
as Vice-President.
was inaugurated.
Due to the fact that the civil war that started in 1839 had escalated and spread to the Northern provinces, General Alcántara commissioned General Caycedo to lead the government troops in the northern campaign. Thus, Juan de Dios Aranzazu, President of the “Consejo de Estado” assumed the presidency from July 5, until October 19, 1841, when General Caycedo returned to the presidency. General Alcántara returned triumphant to Bogotá
on May 19, 1842, and is sworn in as President.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n general and statesman who served as President
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
of the Republic of the New Granada between 1841 and 1845. As a general he served in the wars of independence of the New Granada and of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
Biographic data
Alcántara was born in BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Viceroyalty of the New Granada, on October 19, 1800. He died in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
on April 26, 1872.
He was also the son-in-law of Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera y Arboleda was a Colombian general and political figure. He was president of Colombia four times. The first time was as president of Republic of New Granada from 1845 to 1849. During the Colombian Civil War of 1860-1862 he led liberal forces in a civil war against...
.
Early life
Alcántara initiated his education in the Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé in Bogotá, but he dropped out of school at the age of 14 to join the revolutionary army in 1814.Military career
Alcántara enlisted in the revolutionary army of General Simón BolívarSimón 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...
as a teenager. He fought in several battles, and in the battle of Cuchilla del Tambo he was captured by the Spanish forces. He was court-martialed and sentenced to death by the military court. His death sentence was commuted in exchange for serving in the Spanish Army, which he did for five years. Later, he escaped and rejoined the revolutionary army of General Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá , known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , was a Venezuelan independence leader. Sucre was one of Simón Bolívar's closest friends, generals and statesmen.-Ancestry:...
with the rank of captain.
Alcántara joined the armies of the southern campaigns in Nueva Granada and Perú. He fought in the battles of “Bomboná” (April 7, 1822), “Battle of Junín
Battle of Junín
The Battle of Junín was a military engagement of the Peruvian War of Independence, fought in the highlands of the Junín Region on August 6, 1824. The preceding February the royalists had regained control of Lima, and having regrouped in Trujillo, Simón Bolívar in June led his rebel forces south to...
” (August 6, 1824), and “Ayacucho
Ayacucho
Ayacucho is the capital city of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.Ayacucho is famous for its 33 churches, which represent one for each year of Jesus's life. Ayacucho has large religious celebrations, especially during the Holy Week of Easter...
” (December 9, 1824), the last of the greatest battles of the independence war against Spain. Because of his valor and heroic actions in combat, General Bolívar promoted him to the rank of General in 1828. Later, he was commissioned as Military Chief of the province of Panamá
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
Alcántara’s best military performance was during the war of 1839, defending the government of José Ignacio de Márquez
José Ignacio de Márquez
José Ignacio de Márquez Barreto was a Colombian statesman, lawyer and professor, who served as Vice President of Colombia under the presidency of Francisco de Paula Santander, and subsequently was elected President of the Republic of the New Granada for the presidential term of 1837 to 1841.- ...
against the revolt of General José María Obando
José María Obando
José María Ramón Obando del Campo was a Neogranadine General and politician who twice served as President of Colombia...
, due to the administration’s closure of the Catholic convents in the city of Pasto
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
. This victory propelled him to the political arena and he was nominated as presidential candidate by President Márquez.
Diplomatic career
Alcántara also served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
.
Political career
As stated above, Alcántara was proclaimed as a presidential candidate by President Márquez. He faced two opponents, Eusebio Borrero and Vicente Azuero. However none of the three obtained a majority of the popular vote, and thus the election of a President was left to Congress . In 1841, Congress elected General Alcántara as President and General Domingo CaycedoDomingo Caycedo
Domingo de Caycedo y Sanz de Santamaría was a Colombian statesman who served as Vice-president of Gran Colombia and the Republic of New Granada, and due to the absence of the presidents, he himself served as President a total of eleven times, making him the person to have served more times as...
as Vice-President.
The Presidency
Alcántara was elected President by Congress in 1841, for a four years period, but he was not able to be inaugurated as he was still commanding the government troops in the war against the southern revolt. He was supposed to be inaugurated on April 1, 1841, as provided by the Constitution, but in his place the Vice-President Domingo CaycedoDomingo Caycedo
Domingo de Caycedo y Sanz de Santamaría was a Colombian statesman who served as Vice-president of Gran Colombia and the Republic of New Granada, and due to the absence of the presidents, he himself served as President a total of eleven times, making him the person to have served more times as...
was inaugurated.
Due to the fact that the civil war that started in 1839 had escalated and spread to the Northern provinces, General Alcántara commissioned General Caycedo to lead the government troops in the northern campaign. Thus, Juan de Dios Aranzazu, President of the “Consejo de Estado” assumed the presidency from July 5, until October 19, 1841, when General Caycedo returned to the presidency. General Alcántara returned triumphant to Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
on May 19, 1842, and is sworn in as President.
External links
- http://www.lablaa.org/blaavirtual/biografias/herrpedr.htm
- http://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensa_new/historia/pedroalcantar.htm
- http://www.fac.mil.co/index.php?idcategoria=13792&PHPSESSID=67bc89b67fbff609069aee1db