Gabino GaÃnza
Gabino Gaínza y Fernández de Medrano ( born October 20, 1753 Pamplona, † 1829 in Mexico) was the first President of Central America after independence from Spain.
Military career
Gabino Gaínza was born in Pamplona, Spain (other sources give also the birthplace of Basque Guipúzcoa ). At the age of 14 he joined the Royal Spanish Army. In 1780 he was assigned to Peru, where he was involved among other things in the suppression of the revolt under Tupac Amaru II. In January 1814, the Viceroy José Fernando Abascal y Sousa Gaínza sent with a force of nearly 800 men to Chile in order to combat the independence movement under the leadership of José Miguel Carrera and Bernardo O'Higgins there. After several battles with varying output occurred on May 3, 1814 mediation of the English commodore James Hillyard the conclusion of the Treaty of Lircay between Gaínza and O'Higgins, who was, however, later not approved by the Viceroy Abascal. This then sent in July 1814 Mariano Osorio with new troops to Chile. Osorio took Gaínza firm, opened a court-martial proceedings against him for the guided negotiations with the rebels, and sent him back to Lima, where he remained in custody until the completion of the procedure. In 1816 Gaínza was acquitted, his reputation in the army, however, had suffered greatly. He was moved to Quito in the Viceroyalty of New Granada.
The independence of Central America
Beginning in 1820 Gaínza became the Generalsubinspekteur the army in which the Viceroyalty of New Spain Captaincy General of Guatemala owned (which the five provinces of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica included ) appointed. Against this nomination protested both the new viceroy of Peru Joaquín de la Pezuela who pointed sympathy for the independence movement Gaínzas, and the Captain General of Guatemala, Carlos Urrutia y Montoya, who Gaínza rejected because of his age. Nevertheless Gaínza stepped up to the new post. Regardless of the initial dislike of him transferred Urrutia, who had suffered a stroke in August 1820 Gaínza - among other things, on the initiative of his doctors, Dr. Pedro Molina and Dr. Vicente Carranza, both of which belonged to the independence movement - on March 9, 1821, the exercise of governance. This was de facto captain general. Once in August 1821, Mexico had gained its independence, led by Agustín de Iturbide, also Gaínza sided openly with the side of the Central American independence movement. For September 15, 1821 he convened in Guatemala City a meeting, the Guatemala ( ie Central America) for independent from Spain declared and signed a corresponding declaration of independence. Here, among the participants there was disagreement, however, should continue to exist as to the future state organization in Central America, in particular with regard to the question whether it is connecting on the basis of the " Plan of Iguala " to the newly founded German Empire or Mexico as an independent state. The meeting on September 15, 1821 determined that this should be decided by a convened for March 1, 1822 the National Congress. Up to the convening of all political, military and clerical office holders should remain in their functions. In this way Gaínza de facto first head of state of independent Guatemala was (Central America ).
Following Mexico
Gaínza was a strong advocate of a port in Central America to Mexico, which he thought necessary to enforce against the will of the majority. After he had received from Agustín de Iturbide notified that on the border with Guatemala, a Mexican Division was ready to "to protect the beneficial projects of those who love their country with weapons," Gaínza therefore informed the - appointed even in colonial times and mostly dominated by the Spanish aristocrats - local councils ( Ayuntamiento ) in the five Central American provinces by letter dated November 30, 1821 simply states that " the circumstances do not permit it ... wait for the congress of deputies " and called on them, therefore, self- to find the question of a connection to Mexico. The community groups agreed to a port, whereupon Gaínza by decree dated January 5, 1822 Guatemala's port ( Central America ) decreed in Mexico. Iturbide appointed him then with Decree of 23 January 1822 preliminary Captain General of Guatemala. Especially in El Salvador was stirring under the leadership of Dr. Matías Delgado and Manuel José Arce immediately massive resistance against the terminal, which culminated in an armed confrontation. Given the inability Gaínzas to crush this resistance, deposed Iturbide Gaínza and ordered the invasion of the already stationed at the border, 600 -strong force under the command of Brigadier General Vicente Mexican Filisola to Guatemala to. On June 12, 1822 reached this Guatemala City. On June 23, 1822 Gaínza transferred to command the Iturbide's Government violence on Filisola and went to Mexico. There he spent the rest of his life and died in 1829 in poverty.