Andrés de Santa Cruz
Andrés de Santa Cruz ( born December 5, 1792 in La Paz, Bolivia; † September 25, 1865 in Saint- Nazaire, France) was a Bolivian general and 28 January 1827 to the June 9, 1827 President of Peru, and from 24. May 1829 until February 17, 1839 President of Bolivia, where he was elected upon the resignation of Antonio José de Sucre.
Santa Cruz was in La Paz (then Upper Peru, Bolivia later ) was born as the son of Peruvian Creole Josep de Santa Cruz y Villavicencio and the Bolivian Mara Basilia Calahumana. He studied at the San Bernendo school in Cuzco, which he left in 1820 to go to Lima. In the first years of his young military career he served in the Spanish army. He was stationed in the Viceroyalty of Peru, one of the most heavily fortified bases of Spain in South America. Viceroy Joaquín de la Pezuela promoted him to commander of the south coast and the military commander of Port Chorrillos.
In January 1821 he switched sides and volunteered in the independence army of José de San Martin. Here he distinguished himself on several occasions and was promoted to General, Grand Marshal and Chief of Staff. After a brief stint as a Peruvian president, he was in 1829 elected Bolivian president. The presidency of Andrés de Santa Cruz is one of the most stable and most successful of the Bolivian history. Bolivia was at this time with his progressive reforms a model for many Latin American countries. In 1835, the risk of coups and revolutions Peruvian President called him to help. After the victory against insurgent generals Andres de Santa Cruz Peru and Bolivia to the Peruvian- Bolivian Confederation united. The neighboring countries of Chile and Argentina, however, saw in the union of a power and trade threat and declared war on it. While the German and close ally of Santa Cruz, Otto Philipp Braun, was able to fend off an Argentine invasion, Andres de Santa Cruz was defeated in Peru a Chilean expedition army. The confederation fell apart. Andres de Santa Cruz was forced to flee to Ecuador.
With nearly 10 years in office, Santa Cruz was by far the longest-serving president of Bolivia.