Antonio Rivera Cabezas

Antonio Rivera Cabezas (* 1785 in Guatemala City, † May 8, 1851 in Guatemala City ) was a member of the Government Junta of the Central American Confederation and 1831 head of state of Guatemala.

Life

Rivera was a cadet at the Milicias. He became a lawyer in the Spanish colonial period. In 1812 he held under Spanish rule, the Office of the Messenger of the first Central American Assembly.

On September 15, 1821 he was one of the signers of independence from Spain. In 1823 he formed with Pedro José Antonio Molina Mazariegos and Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz a triumvirate called the first Government Junta of Central American confederation.

He was a member of the Mexican Congress at the time of annexation by Mexico under Agustín de Iturbide. The Mexican occupation forces were at times allies of the Liberal Party.

As a member of the Junta he signed on July 1, 1823 a declaration of independence of Central America from Spain, Mexico and all other countries. He was the author of satirical writings. In 1824 he was appointed by the Mexican government head of government of the department of Guatemala. On March 9, 1830, the Parliament Pedro José Antonio Molina Mazariegos removed as head of state of Guatemala and Rivera Cabezas was to February 10th Head of State of Guatemala in the Confederacy. During his tenure, there was peace. He let build the destroyed in the wars of independence education again. He let new schools open in Chiquimula. He also founded new schools in Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango and introduced the concept of Lancasterschule. He had carried out a census. He tried to reform the judicial system, founded the Dirección de Caminos Departamentales, the so-called Road Administration. In 1831 he resigned from his post. He was from 1835 to 1837 Minister of Finance of the Federation. From 1832 to 1835 he was District Judge.

When the regime of the Partido Conservador came to power in Guatemala, he should be shot, was released on intervention of friends and migrated to Chiapas. When he tried to return to Honduras, he was arrested in Jocotán Chiquimula and charged with conspiracy. He managed to flee to El Salvador, where he in the Official Pedro José Antonio Molina Mazariegos, which was regarded as the founder of the Partido Liberal, met his predecessors. It is in the church of La Merced Calle 5, 11 Av Guatemala City, buried.