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, politician and 1904-1909 President of Colombia.

Life

In 1874 he undertook with his brothers an expedition to explore and take possession of the unexplored Amazon basin in Colombia. While one brother died of fever and another brother cannibalism of the natives fell victim, he himself lived for ten years in the jungle.

Immediately after his return to Bogotá, he joined with the prevailing conservative Partido Conservador Colombiano in combination and he helped the dictatorial ruling President Rafael Núñez in 1885 in the repression of liberal revolts. For his support Núñez appointed him during his terms in office ( 1884-1886, 1887-1892 and 1892-1894 ), among others, the Interior Minister and Ambassador to France. During the presidency of José Manuel Marroquín he was 1901-1902 Delegate to the Pan-American Conference in Mexico City. After supported by the United States secession of Panama from Colombia in 1903 he sought as a negotiator in vain for compensation from the United States.

In 1904 he was finally elected to succeed himself Marroquíns president of Colombia. During his last until July 27, 1909 term, he already served shortly after taking office, also dictatorial methods in which he dissolved the Congress, some of its members were jailed and his own "mock parliament " appointed. On the other hand, his reign was so far successful, as he re- regulated the international credit of the state, the production of coffee grew as an important source of export revenue and the construction of railway lines and public facilities expanded. It also came in his tenure to a separation of church and state. Nevertheless, the resentment grew among the population against his dictatorship. Ultimately forced him, the opposition to the proposed by him treaty with the United States in 1909 and thus five years before the end of his term in 1914 to resign. The contract provided that Colombia should be obtained from the U.S. financial compensation of only 2.5 million U.S. dollars for the loss of Panama.

Then he held for ten years abroad, such as in Brazil and returned only in 1919 back to Colombia.