Vicente Rocafuerte

Vicente Rocafuerte Bejarano ( born May 1, 1783 in Guayaquil, † May 16, 1847 in Lima) was an Ecuadorian politician. He was on 10 September 1834 to 31 January 1839, the second president of Ecuador.

Life

Rocafuerte came from a noble family from Guayaquil; his father was born in Morella in Spain, his mother came from the local upper class. He was sent to Madrid, there to complete his studies. In 1808 he returned to Ecuador, and took an active part in the struggle for independence against the Spanish. He was elected as a representative of New Granada in the Cortes de Cádiz (1810-1814), a constituent assembly after the Napoleonic Wars in Spain. There he spoke out against subordinating King Ferdinand VII. After the founding of Gran Colombia (1816 ), he advocated against that State and for the independence of what was Ecuador.

Policy

After the independence of Ecuador Rocafuerte reached in 1830 elected as Liberal candidate for the province of Pichincha in the National Assembly. He distinguished himself as an opponent of President Juan José Flores, and was banished by this. He settled in Peru, but could return to settle his problems with Flores to Ecuador.

On September 20, 1833, he became governor of the province of Guayas. A month later, on 20 October 1833, he initiated a revolt against Flores, but ended with his own arrest in July 1834. He then made ​​a pact with Flores, who said that Rocafuerte Flores ' successor as president after the end of his term on September 10, 1834 would be, while Flores should retain control over the army.

During his tenure (1834-1839) Ecuador received a new, liberal constitution (1835 ), which gave more rights including the indigenous population, but slavery is not abolished. Likewise, the first systematic penal code was passed. In 1839, Flores was elected president again after the end of Rocafuertes tenure. Disputes between Flores and Rocafuerte stayed away for a large part of Flores ' renewed term. However, Flores in 1842 adopted a new constitution, which replaced that of 1835. This became known as "Slavery Letter ", and had, among other things means that Rocafuerte left the country towards Peru. Rocafuerte was now again Governor of Guayas, where he was taking particular account of his personal commitment to fight a yellow fever epidemic in the provincial capital of Guayaquil in 1842 in the story.

On March 6, 1845 took Rocafuerte Vicente Ramón Roca, together with an uprising, the so-called " March Revolution " followed. On June 18, Flores fled to Peru. After a brief interim presidency of José Joaquín de Olmedo was Vicente Ramón Roca President.

Rocafuerte served under Roca 's special envoy in various South American countries. He died on 16 May 1847 in the Peruvian capital of Lima. His remains are located in a beautiful mausoleum on the general cemetery of Guayaquil.