Domingo Esguerra Plata
Encyclopedia
Domingo Esguerra Plata (28 March 1875-1965) was a Colombian lawyer and career diplomat. He served as Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs
from 1947 to 1948 during the administration of President
Mariano Ospina Pérez
, and was the 1st Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Colombia to Japan, the 1st Ambassador of Colombia to Brazil
, and the 2nd Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom
as well as serving as Ambassador of Colombia to Argentina
in a Special Diplomatic Mission, as well as other positions in the diplomatic corps.
from Univesidad Repúblicana in Bogotá (now the Free University of Colombia
) on 26 June 1896, his graduate thesis
La Doctrina Monroe was a comprehensive account of the Monroe Doctrine
and was held in high regard by his contemporaries.
On 4 September 1906, Esguerra was named First Secretary of the Colombian Legation
in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
working under Ignacio Gutiérrez Ponce, the Colombian Envoy to His Britanic Majesty's Government
. On 8 October 1908, he was promoted to the rank of Counselor ad honorem
, but was instead transferred a few days later on 13 October to the legation in the German Empire
still maintaining the same rank, this was at the behest of his friend Gutiérrez who now served as Envoy to His Germanic Imperial and Royal Majesty's Government.
He returned to Colombia in the early months of 1909, and was named Colombian Minister of Finance and Treasury by President Rafael Reyes Prieto in replacement of Nemesio Camacho Macías for a very short period, the appointed was intended to fulfill protocol as President Reyes's term ended a few weeks later. The next year, Esguerra was named Financial Agent of the diplomatic missions in Europe at London. With the inauguration of the League of Nations
in Geneva
, Esguerra was named Counselor of the Colombian Legation to the First Conference of the League of Nations on 16 January 1920. In 1922, he returns to London this time as Consul General.
For his exemplary conduct and diplomatic labour in the name of Colombia, Esguerra was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
by the Government of Japan
, the Order of the Southern Cross
by the Government of Brazil, the Order of the Liberator
by the Government of Venezuela
, the Order of Merit by the Government of Ecuador, and the Order of Boyacá by his own, the Government of Colombia
. He was also a member and 3 times President of the Sociedad Bolivariana de Colombia, and an Honorary Member of the Real Academia de Jurisprudencia y Legislación of Madrid
.
In October 1933 he was appointed as the 1st Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Colombia to Japan
by President
Enrique Olaya Herrera
with the mission of establishing direct diplomatic ties with The Land of the Rising Sun. He traveled from London to Washington, D.C.
to meet his colleague Fabio Lozano Torrijos, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Colombia to the United States and afterwards travelled to Montreal
where he traveled by train to Vancouver
and sailed off to Japan by way of Honolulu. He arrived to the port of Yokohama
, Japan on 20 April 1934 and traveled from there to Tokyo
, where on 28 April 1934 he presented his Letters of Credence to Emperor
Hirohito
.
) then part of the State of Tolima
, United States of Colombia
. His parents were Domingo Esguerra Ortiz and Dolores Plata Bernal, but was raised in the home of his paternal uncle Nicolás following the murder of his father in 1987, and remained there after his mother died in 1901. He married on 8 March 1905 to Paulina Rueda Vargas, who died in 1946, and remarried in June 1948 to Susana Flórez Marino who survived him when he died on in Bogotá, D.C., he had no succession from either marriage.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also known as the Chancellery, is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the foreign relations of Colombia through its diplomatic missions abroad by formulating foreign policy relevant to the matters of the State, it is...
from 1947 to 1948 during the administration of President
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
Mariano Ospina Pérez
Mariano Ospina Pérez
Luis Mariano Ospina Pérez was a Colombian engineer and political figure, member of the Colombian Conservative Party. He served as President of Colombia between 1946 and 1950.- Biographic data :...
, and was the 1st Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Colombia to Japan, the 1st Ambassador of Colombia to Brazil
Ambassador of Colombia to Brazil
The Ambassador of Colombia to Brasil is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the Federative Republic of Brazil....
, and the 2nd Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom
Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom
The Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, accredited as Concurrent Non-Resident Ambassador to Ireland....
as well as serving as Ambassador of Colombia to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in a Special Diplomatic Mission, as well as other positions in the diplomatic corps.
Career
Graduated Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Univesidad Repúblicana in Bogotá (now the Free University of Colombia
Free University of Colombia
Universidad Libre is a university in Colombia initially founded under the name of Universidad Republicana in Bogota during the 19th Century. Since the original intention of this program was to offer the space for unbiased learning during a radical political period in the country, the proper...
) on 26 June 1896, his graduate thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
La Doctrina Monroe was a comprehensive account of the Monroe Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention...
and was held in high regard by his contemporaries.
On 4 September 1906, Esguerra was named First Secretary of the Colombian Legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
working under Ignacio Gutiérrez Ponce, the Colombian Envoy to His Britanic Majesty's Government
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. On 8 October 1908, he was promoted to the rank of Counselor ad honorem
Ad honorem
Ad honorem is a Latin phrase that literally can be translated as "to the honor". When used today, it generally means "for the honor of"; that is, not seeking any material reward. It is commonly used in universities for some unpaid teaching positions....
, but was instead transferred a few days later on 13 October to the legation in the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
still maintaining the same rank, this was at the behest of his friend Gutiérrez who now served as Envoy to His Germanic Imperial and Royal Majesty's Government.
He returned to Colombia in the early months of 1909, and was named Colombian Minister of Finance and Treasury by President Rafael Reyes Prieto in replacement of Nemesio Camacho Macías for a very short period, the appointed was intended to fulfill protocol as President Reyes's term ended a few weeks later. The next year, Esguerra was named Financial Agent of the diplomatic missions in Europe at London. With the inauguration of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Esguerra was named Counselor of the Colombian Legation to the First Conference of the League of Nations on 16 January 1920. In 1922, he returns to London this time as Consul General.
For his exemplary conduct and diplomatic labour in the name of Colombia, Esguerra was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
by the Government of Japan
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
, the Order of the Southern Cross
Order of the Southern Cross
The National Order of the Southern Cross is a Brazilian order of chivalry founded by Emperor Pedro I on 1 December 1822. This order was intended to commemorate the independence of Brazil and the coronation of Pedro I...
by the Government of Brazil, the Order of the Liberator
Order of the Liberator
The Order of the Liberator is the highest distinction of Venezuela and is appointed for services to the country, outstading merit and benefits made to the community. For Venezuelans the order ranks first from other orders, national and foreign....
by the Government of Venezuela
Government of Venezuela
|Venezuela is a federal presidential republic governed by a constitution. There are five branches of government: Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Citizen, and Electoral....
, the Order of Merit by the Government of Ecuador, and the Order of Boyacá by his own, the Government of Colombia
Government of Colombia
The government of Colombiais a republic with separation of powers into executive, judicial and legislative branches.Its legislature has a congress,its judiciary has a supreme court, andits executive branch has a president....
. He was also a member and 3 times President of the Sociedad Bolivariana de Colombia, and an Honorary Member of the Real Academia de Jurisprudencia y Legislación of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
In October 1933 he was appointed as the 1st Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Colombia to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by President
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
Enrique Olaya Herrera
Enrique Olaya Herrera
Enrique Alfredo Olaya Herrera was a Colombian journalist and politician, President of Colombia from August 7, 1930 until August 7, 1934 representing the Colombian Liberal Party.- Early years :...
with the mission of establishing direct diplomatic ties with The Land of the Rising Sun. He traveled from London to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to meet his colleague Fabio Lozano Torrijos, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Colombia to the United States and afterwards travelled to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
where he traveled by train to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and sailed off to Japan by way of Honolulu. He arrived to the port of Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan on 20 April 1934 and traveled from there to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, where on 28 April 1934 he presented his Letters of Credence to Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
.
Personal life
Born 28 March 1975 in the town of Santana de las Lajas (now called FalánFalan
Falan is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. Falan was founded before 1539, by the Guandecas and Pomponáes tribes. It was discovered by Spanish Baltazar Maldonado in 1539. The population of the municipality was 17,251 as of the 1993 census. The total area of the...
) then part of the State of Tolima
Tolima State
Tolima State was one of the states of Colombia .On July 12, 1861, after raising in arms against the constitutional government of the president Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, the general Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera created the Tolima State, carved out of Cundinamarca State.In 1863 it bordered:* Cauca...
, United States of Colombia
United States of Colombia
The United States of Colombia was the name adopted in 1861 through the Rionegro Constitution for the nation which had been known as the Republic of New Granada since the dissolution of the federation of Gran Colombia in 1830-1831....
. His parents were Domingo Esguerra Ortiz and Dolores Plata Bernal, but was raised in the home of his paternal uncle Nicolás following the murder of his father in 1987, and remained there after his mother died in 1901. He married on 8 March 1905 to Paulina Rueda Vargas, who died in 1946, and remarried in June 1948 to Susana Flórez Marino who survived him when he died on in Bogotá, D.C., he had no succession from either marriage.