Rafael Reyes
José Gregorio Ambrosio Rafael Reyes Prieto (born December 5, 1849 in Santa Rosa de Viterbo , Boyacá , † February 19, 1921 in Bogotá ) was a Colombian explorer , diplomat and politician . Rafael Reyes was President of Colombia from 1904 to 1909 .
Life
In 1874 he went on a journey of discovery with his brothers to explore and take possession of the unexplored Amazon basin in Colombia. While one brother died of fever and another brother the cannibalism of indigenous people fell victim, he himself lived for ten years in the jungle .
Immediately after his return to Bogotá, he contacted the prevailing conservative Partido Conservador Colombiano and helped the dictatorial President Rafael Núñez in 1885 to suppress liberal revolts . For his support, Núñez appointed him during his tenure (1884 to 1886, 1887 to 1892 and 1892 to 1894), among other things, as Minister of the Interior and Ambassador to France . During the presidency of José Manuel Marroquín between 1901 and 1902 he was a delegate to the Pan-American Conference in Mexico City . After the US- backed secession of Panama from Colombia in 1903, he tried in vain as a negotiator for compensation from the US.
In 1904 he was elected President of Colombia as successor to Marroquín. During his term of office, which lasted until July 27, 1909, shortly after taking office, he also used dictatorial methods, in which he dissolved the Congress, imprisoned some of its members and appointed his own "bogus parliament". On the other hand, his reign was successful in that he reorganized the state's international credits, increased the production of coffee as an important source of export income, and expanded the construction of railroad lines and public facilities. In addition, there was a separation of church and state during his tenure. Nevertheless, the population's displeasure against his dictatorship grew. Ultimately, the opposition to his proposed treaty with the United States in 1909, five years before the end of his term in 1914, forced him to resign. This treaty stipulated that Colombia would receive financial compensation from the United States of only 2.5 million US dollars for the loss of Panama .
He then spent ten years abroad, including in Brazil , and did not return to Colombia until 1919.
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| José Manuel Marroquín |
President of Colombia 1904–1909 |
Jorge Holguín |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Reyes, Rafael |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Reyes Prieto, José Gregorio Ambrosio Rafael (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Colombian explorer, diplomat and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 5, 1849 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Santa Rosa de Viterbo , Boyacá |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 19, 1921 |
| Place of death | Bogotá |