Dionisio de Herrera

José Dionisio de la Trinidad de Herrera y Díaz del Valle ( born October 9, 1781 Choluteca, Honduras, † June 13, 1850 in San Vicente, El Salvador ) was the first head of state of Honduras province and head of state of the province of Nicaragua within the Central American Confederation.

Life

Origin and Youth

Dionisio de Herrera was born to a wealthy family in the late colonial Central America. His parents were Juan Jacinto de Herrera and Paula Díaz del Valle. He was a cousin of the renowned jurist and author of the Central American Declaration of Independence José Cecilio Díaz del Valle and a brother of the later heads of state of Honduras Justo de Herrera.

Herrera was formed and developed over time a very extensive library. He mastered his mother tongue Spanish and the French fluently. So he got among other things, access to the works of Rousseau, Diderot, Montesquieu, and D' Alembert, which made ​​him an enthusiastic supporters of liberal ideas.

After studying law at the Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala Herrera initially worked in the colonial administration in Tegucigalpa. However, he sat down at the same time and for the independence of Central America from Spain. After the news of the signed in Guatemala City on September 15, 1821 Central American Declaration of Independence had reached Honduras, Herrera wrote a Declaration of Independence - then still separate - Provinces Comayagua and Tegucigalpa, which was announced simultaneously in both provinces on September 28.

A short time later, however, there was a military confrontation between the traditionally conservative province of Comayagua and Tegucigalpa, the liberal on the question of a port in Central America to the young Empire of Mexico. During the Conservatives advocated this, the Liberals sat for an independent Central American state modeled after the United States a. Finally, despite the opposition of Herrera and his party friends did the connection to Mexico. However, this ended after less than a year because of the fall of the Mexican Emperor Agustín I..

Head of state of Honduras

After the independence of Central America from Mexico Herrera was appointed on March 23, 1823 Governor of the province of Tegucigalpa. In this capacity, he drove the union of the provinces of Comayagua and Tegucigalpa, Honduras advances to state. For this purpose, a Constituent Assembly was convened, which was held in the small town of Cedros. By decision of 16 September 1824 meeting took place the union of the two provinces of Herrera and chose the first head of state of Honduras. His deputy, the conservative Lieutenant General José Justo Milla was chosen.

Together with his in-laws nephew Francisco Morazán, whom he appointed as Secretary General of the Government, was Herrera significant author of the first constitution of the State, which entered into force in 1825 and up to leaving Honduras remained valid from the Central American confederation. This was marked by Herrera's liberal outlook. Based on the Constitution of the United States they vouched numerous fundamental rights and also suppressed the rights of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, the State into seven administrative districts ( departments ) was divided.

Even the still valid coat of arms of Honduras was introduced by Dionisio de Herrera in 1825.

However, the liberal policies of his government brought Dionisio de Herrera quickly into conflict with the Catholic clergy, led by the bishop provisor José Nicolás Irias who took very personal features soon. Among other Irias who burned the extensive library Herrera on the grounds that it would be in heretical writings in it. Reached its climax in the conflict on November 3, 1826, initiated by a Irias assassination of Herrera, which, however, failed. In response to the assassination Herrera Irias was put under house arrest, which in turn led to protests and riots by supporters Irias ' in several parts of the country. This was reflected Herrera force.

Around the same time, however, Herrera came into conflict with the Federation government under President Manuel José Arce. He had at his government's policy in October 1826 in view of fierce criticism of the deputies of his own ( liberal ) party - dissolved the Federation Parliament - contrary to the Constitution. This led to massive public protests, including Herrera - as well as the Head of State of El Salvador Mariano Prado Baca - joined. Arce, therefore, sent troops under the command of Herrera's deputy, Lieutenant General Milla, to Honduras, who took 1827 Comayagua on May 10 and Herrera caught translated. Milla took over on an interim government affairs until a meeting convened by him on 13 September Herrera chose declared deposed, and new authorities.

Head of state of Nicaragua

Dionisio de Herrera was brought by the Federation troops to Guatemala City, where he remained in custody until the conquest of the city by Francisco Morazán in April, 1829.

After his liberation Herrera was at the initiative of Morazan - elected on 12 May 1830 head of state of Nicaragua - the just preparing to be Federation President. The most important task Herrera was doing in bringing the since independence never-ending conflict between the liberal León and the conservative Granada under control. This was temporarily Herrera also quite good. However, in November 1833, he resigned and went to El Salvador, where he also the head of state was offered the following year, but he refused.

In 1838, Herrera was elected in his home country of Honduras as a deputy and vice president of the Constituent Assembly, which - against his voice - on November 12, the outlet of Honduras from the Central American Confederation declared and a new constitution worked out. Disappointed with this political development, he went to the adoption of the Constitution again to El Salvador, where he settled in San Vicente and worked until his death as a teacher and most recently director at the local elementary school.

Honors

Dionisio de Herrera is revered highly especially in Honduras today. Among other things, carries one of the highest orders of the country, ready to "Order of Dionisio de Herrera ", his name and he is on the 20 - Lempiras banknote. In addition, numerous streets, squares and schools are named after him. His birthplace in Choluteca belongs to the "National Heritage ".