José Antonio Páez
José Antonio Páez (born June 13, 1790 in Acarigua ; † May 6, 1873 in New York ), called El Taita , El Centauro de los Llanos , León de Payara or Primera Lanza de los Llanos , was a Creole from Curpa (Venezuela), General in the Venezuelan struggle for independence and President of Venezuela .
Páez joined Bolívar with his troops in 1818 and became one of the highest generals in Greater Colombia after the Battle of Carabobo . As the leader of a separatist uprising ("La Cosiata"), Páez broke with the government in Bogotá in 1826 , but could be changed by Bolívar, who paid for it with the friendship and loyalty of his Vice President Santander . In 1829 he declared Venezuela independent from Greater Colombia, became the first president of the fourth republic in 1831 and had a decisive influence on the country's politics until he moved to New York in 1863 .
complement
Páez, the son of Indian parents, was a shepherd in his youth, joined the ranks of freedom fighters in 1810 and made himself fearful to the Spaniards as the leader of a band of horsemen he had collected.
In 1816 the government placed the rank of brigadier general at the head of an army and defeated the Spanish in several skirmishes in the province of Apure. Through the battle of Carabobo in 1821 and the capture of Puerto Cabello (1823) he brought about the decision in favor of the young republic, which was constructed under the name of Colombia.
Zealously participating in the parties in the new state and jealous of Bolivar's reputation, he was one of the leaders of the federal party, tore Venezuela away from Colombia in 1829 and was president of the new republic from 1830–38.
President again from 1839 to 1842, he earned the title of famous citizen (es clarecido ciudadano) from the Congress . When war broke out between the Creoles and colored people in 1846, he was appointed dictator and, after the dispute had been settled, had Monagas elected president.
Nevertheless, he was hostile by this and had to flee to Maracaibo and then to Curaçao in 1848, from where he returned to Venezuela in July for Monagas' fall. But since he did not find sufficient support, he had to surrender with two sons to General Sylva and was expelled from the country in 1850, whereupon he went to the United States of North America.
In December 1858 he was recalled to his fatherland, he was ambassador to Washington from 1860–61, and again president with dictatorial power from 1861–1863. However, since he could not master the parties, he abdicated and returned to the United States. After visiting Argentina and Peru (1872), he died on May 6, 1873 in New York. His autobiography appeared in 2 volumes in 1867-69.
literature
- Michael Zeuske : From Bólivar to Chávez. The history of Venezuela . Rotpunktverlag, Zurich, 2008, ISBN 978-3-85869-313-6 .
- Michael Zeuske : Simón Bolívar, Liberator of South America. History and myth . Rotbuch, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-86789-143-1 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Páez, José Antonio |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Venezuelan general and president |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 13, 1790 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Acarigua , Viceroyalty of New Granada |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 6, 1873 |
| Place of death | New York City , New York , United States |