José María Obando
Encyclopedia
José María Ramón Obando del Campo (August 8, 1795 – April 29, 1861) was a Neogranadine
General and politician who twice served as President of Colombia
. As a General, he initially fought for the Royalist Army during the Independence Wars of Colombia, ultimately joining the revolutionary forces of Simón Bolívar
towards the end, but once independence was attained he opposed Bolívar's Centralist government.
, in the then Province of Popayán of the Viceroyalty of New Granada
in present day Colombia
, he was baptised José María Ramón Iragorri Crespo just two days later on August 10 in the chapel of the García hacienda
. Society, during the times of the colony, was puritanical and the religious authorities did not allow a single mother to raise a child on her own, thus when he was two years old he was given up for adoption and put in the care of a Criollo
family in the home of Juan Luis Obando del Castillo y Frías and Antonia del Campo y López who raised him as their own and gave him their last name. His parentage has been of debate among historians, most argue that he was the illegitimate son of Joseph Iragorri, but others argue and have tried to prove that his father was Pedro Vicente Martínez y Cabal, and others have claimed that he was the biological son of his adoptive father Juan Luis Obando as well.
Despite his humble beginnings, Obando received a formal education in the Real Seminario de Popayán thanks to his adoptive family who were well-off merchants from Pasto
loyal to the Spanish Empire
and who consequently had to escape to Pasto after the Battle of Palacé (1811) during the Wars of Independence. Obando married Dolores Espinosa de los Monteros Mesa in 1824 and together had five children: José María, Cornelia, José Dolores, Simón and Micaela, it would have been six since Mrs. Espinosa was pregnant with another child, but both died during childbirth in 1833 leaving him a widower with five small children at his charge. In 1837 he remarries to Timotea Carvajal Marulanda and of this union has three more children: Soledad, Capitolino and Gratiniano.
and was promoted to Colonel
by Simón Bolívar
. In 1827 he resigned his post due to his discomfort with the political establishment which he labelled as undemocratic.
When Simón Bolívar dismissed the Convention of Ocaña and declared himself Dictator of the New Granada on August 27, 1828 and drafted a new constitution. The new constitution was centralist in nature, and Obando fiercely opposed this and in response launched a joint campaign with José Hilario López, revolting in Timbío against Governor Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
, a centralist and Bolívar supporter. Their forces then attacked Popayán on November 12, 1828 seizing the city and ensued to meet and defeated a nearby garrison in the Battle of La Ladera, securing the area and threatening the control of the government in the southwest region of the country forcing Bolívar to sign an armistice with them in order to secure peace. This armistice was favourable for Obando and López, on October 8, 1829 Bolívar ascended Obando to the rank of General and designated him Commandant-General
of the Department of Cauca
Bolívar's actions had angered more than just Obando, the level of opposition was such that he resigned in 1830 after surviving an assassination attempt by his political enemies in the north. The political vacuum and struggle for power left by his resignation led to a coup d'état
against the acting President Domingo Caycedo
on September 5, 1830 by Venezuelan General Rafael Urdaneta
. This new encroachment to the constitution spurred Obando to take action against the government once again, this time in defence of the government left by Bolívar. Obando convened the Assembly of Cauca
in Buga
on November 10, 1830 to speak out against the dictatorship and organize the armies to fight it. The makeshift military alliance commanded by Obando and Lopéz strike on February 10, 1831 at the Battle of El Papayal in Palmira delivering a devastating blow to the dictatorship forces. From Palmira, Obando's forced moved to Cali
, then to Neiva
fighting the opposition. This conflict did not escalate further thanks to a compromised reached by Vicepresident Caycedo and Gen. Urdaneta, the Apulo Compromised secured a peaceful change of power with the compromised that key members of both sides would receive promotions. The Exaltados, as the faction which Obando belonged, were unhappy with the compromise as they wanted to purge the government and army from the Bolivarians, some of them even wanted to overthrow Caycedo once again and replace him with Obando, but his good friend José Hilario López prevented them from doing so knowing that Obando, who fought the two previous unconstitutional grabs of power would be against it.
was convened on November 15, 1831 to draft a new constitution for the nation. Vice President Caycedo, who had been the Acting President after the resignation of Bolívar, proceeded to submit his resignation to the assembly on the same day it first convened; the assembly postponed the matter until it was decided whether or not to establish a provisional government
. Finally the constituent assembly voted to implement a provisional government while a new constitution was drafted, for this purpose they elected José María Obando as Vice President, office which given the absence of a President made him the Acting President
as well, and Obando was sworn in on November 23, 1831.
As provisional acting president, Obando sanctioned on February 29, 1832 the Constitution of 1832 which among other things, changed the name of the country to Republic of the New Granada and implemented many of the Federalist ideals Obando championed. The Constituent Assembly also elected Santander as President while formal elections were carried out. Obando had once again been a candidate for Vice President this time around, but the objections of those who feared having a popular caudillo
in power proved too much and the assembly voted to elect a civilian instead; on March 10, 1832 José Ignacio de Márquez
was sworn in as the new Vice President succeeding Obando not only as Vice President but as acting President as well given that Santander was exiled in New York at the time of the election.
to enforce it. In response to Ecuador’s actions the Neogranadine assembly issued a decree of territorial integrity and dispatched General López to keep Ecuador at bay. López managed to secure the provinces of Choco and Popayán, but the provinces of Cauca and Buenaventura remained under the military control of Ecuador. Obando, who had stayed behind in Bogotá as head of the provisional government was sent immediately by Vice President Márquez upon taking power to defend the territory, and once all the diplomatic options were exhausted, Márquez sent in reinforcements and support to aid Obando who was the commander of the 1st Army Division to take the Cauca by force. From Popayán Obando marched to Pasto with 1,500 soldiers and was able to take the Pasto with no struggle or conflict as the invading army had left in anticipation.
, Obando received 536 votes falling short of the 616 received by Márquez but still enough votes that prevented Márquez to receive the required majority which forced the task of electing a President to Congress, unfortunately for Obando allegiances fell once the responsibility fell to the congress, some like General Mosquera who had initially lent his support to Obando flattered and voted for Márquez instead, it was the case that Congress was still made up of a lot of members who had been loyal to Bolívar and formed a bloc with the moderate liberals to elect Márquez to Presidency leaving Obando in defeat, also unusual in a circumstance like this was the peaceful transition of power, Obando admitted defeat and Márquez became President of New Granada that same year.
instead. Obando tried to remain out of the conflict and moved to Bogotá to prove his non-complicity. The tied turned for Obando when he was implicated in the assassination of Sucre after Herrán captured José Erazo, a guerrilla soldier that fought in Obando´s division. According to Erazo, Obando had ordered him to carry out the assassination, and with his testimony a judge in Pasto issued an arrest warrant
for Obando. The implications were largely believed to be political since Obando was the most likely candidate for the following presidential elections, and his enemies wanted him out of the race. Obando willing to clear his name traveled to Popayán to clear his name but it was clear that by then the conflict had become political and when he arrived to Popayán he led a short revolt against the government that quickly ended in an agreement with General Herrán and Obando continued on his way to Pasto.
Once in his political and military stronghold, Obando entered in open rebellion declaring himself "Supreme Director of the War in Pasto, General in Chief of the Restoring Army, and Protector of the Religion of Christ Crucified", and calling for a revert to Federalism
a popular and regionalist cause that was quickly picked up by supporters of Santander nationwide. Soon 12 out of the 20 provinces of New Granada were controlled by the Supremos, so called because they took up titles similar to Obando's calling themselves supreme directors of their region, 4 more provinces were partly occupied, and the government had trouble defending the remaining 4. From Santa Marta
to Casanare to Pasto
the Federalists were in control, but though large in numbers and support, they fought in separately so the army of the Supreme Director of Santa Marta fought his battles alone and not with the help of the Supreme Director of Antioquia. President Márquez desperate to take control went to recruit the help of Ecuadorian President Juan José Flores, an old enemy of Obando, to help him quell the rebellion in Pasto. The united forces of Generals Herrán, Mosquera and Flores defeated Obando at the Battle at Huilquipamba, delivering a devastating blow but providing the winners only a Pyrrhic victory
, but with Obando defeated the rebel troops would not be able to unify under a single leader anymore.
where he was welcomed by President Juan Crisóstomo Torrico
, but when the latter was ousted by Juan Francisco de Vidal, the new administration gave in to the extradition request that New Granada put in through its Ambassador in Ecuador Rufino Cuervo y Barreto and its Ambassador in Peru Juan Antonio Pardo. Obando then escaped to Chile under the protection of President Manuel Bulnes Prieto.
He remained in exile until January 1, 1849 when then President Mosquera gave amnesty to all those who committed political crimes. Obando returned to New Granada on March 13 of that same year and asked Mosquera to open a trial for him to be judged for his alleged involvement in the death of Sucre. Mosquera refused and the matter was passed to Congress where a proposed decree was introduced that allowed individuals to give up their immunity to stand trial. This resolution passed in the Chamber of Representatives
but it was voted down in the Senate
, where allies of Obando also voted to prevent this to happen fearing that he would be found guilty.
In 1849 his good friend José Hilario López was elected president of the New Granada ending the decade of Conservative rule. The new president appointed him Governor of the Province of Cartagena de Indias where Obando remained for little over a year returning to Bogotá after being elected a Member of the Chamber of Representatives by the Province of Bogotá, where he was able to revive his popularity and support and quickly rose to prominence becoming President of the Chamber in 1850
was divided in three factions, the Radicals, the new social liberals, the Golgothas, the young progressive liberals, and the Draconians, the strict old liberal elite. The Radicals presented the candidature of Tomás de Herrera
, a Panamanian General, the Golgothas choose José de Obaldía
, and the Draconians presented that of José María Obando; the also emerging Conservative Party
did not present a candidate for the election choosing rather to abstain from the election and not vote. Obando won the elections by 1,548 votes, and Congress appointed Herrera 1st Designate and Obaldía as Vice President. Obando was inaugurated on April 1, 1853 in the Cathedral of Bogotá
before the Congress Assembled becoming the 6th elected President of the Republic of the New Granada.
The first order of business for President Obando was to sanction the Constitution of 1853 which had been introduced in 1851. Congress passed the new Constitution on May 16, and was sanctioned on May 21. The new constitution was unprecedented in Latin America and far too liberal for the nation at the time, in it federalism prevailed, slavery was abolished, suffrage
was extended to all married men aged 21 and older, and the direct popular vote
was implemented to elect governors, magistrates, congressmen and the president and vice president. Most shocking of all was the separation of church and state
and the freedom of religion
that it established, going as far as taking the juristic power held by the Church and subjecting its members to civil law. Obando a fervent Catholic whose political support stemmed from a region that had erupted in civil war just a few years back from closing a few convents was not happy to sign the new document. The Draconians, who had postulated Obando for president also wanted him to veto the constitution as they disagreed with its radical liberal nature which had been a product of the Golgothas. Nevertheless Obando ratified it and it became the new constitution.
s) who were the well off merchant class. President Obando persuaded by those close to him sided with the ruanas, a move that destroyed his support in the capital among the elite and created animosity within his own party. Soon the talk of revolution was in the air, it seemed everyone in Bogotá had different plans for revolution: reports that the Conservatives were going to revolt, that the Golothas were going to mount a coup, that the ruanas were going to overrun the city, and that the casacas were mounting an internal coup, all seemed to come from one place and another and even though preventive measures were taking the rumours only grew louder. President Obando, who had been informed of all the details of the rumoured plans dismissed them as baseless gossip; different leaders, among them Vice President Obaldía, informed President Obando that his General Commander of the Army of Cundinamarca, José María Melo
would be the most likely culprit of the rebellion and that he needed to discharge him from the Army at once to prevent any future attack to government. Obando however, believed that doing so would disturb the public order, and that there was no proof of Melo's involvement in any of this.
Obando's disbelief and inaction catalysed the events which occurred in the morning of Abril 17, 1854. General Melo arrived at his door and informed President Obando that he would mount a coup and invited him to suspend government and establish a provisional dictatorship to resolve the problems of the country. Obando baffled by the well announced and warned event that was taking place could not believe what was happening, he who after all had fought the dictatorships of Bolívar and Urdaneta, and who had fought against the regimes of Márquez, Herrán and Mosquera was now faced with the decision to become a dictator or a deposed president. President Obando declined him, and said he refused to take any power than that which was legitimately given to him by the people, and willingly and quietly accepted his fate to go down rather than to betray his convictions, thus a successful bloodless coup d'état
had been launched by Melo. Obando was taken prisoner along with most members of his cabinet and many congressmen, some were able to escape and took refuge in the Legation
of the United States.
s in the back, four in his chest and a contussion in the head. When he was dead his upper lip was cut off by Sebastían Tobar with a knife in order to remove his signature moustache. He was buried on May 1, 1861 in the Cemetery of Funza
. He was survived by his second wife Timotea and his eight children. On August 19, 1869 his remains were exhumed and reburied in the family estate of El Empedradero in Popayán, and afterwards they were moved to the ossuary
of the church of San Agustín, where they remained until they were moved once again through the lobbying of Antonio José Lemos Guzmán to the Pantheon of the Forefathers (Panteón de los Próceres).
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
General and politician who twice served as President of Colombia
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"...
. As a General, he initially fought for the Royalist Army during the Independence Wars of Colombia, ultimately joining the revolutionary forces of Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
towards the end, but once independence was attained he opposed Bolívar's Centralist government.
Personal life
Born out of wedlock to Ana María Crespo on August 8, 1795 in the town of Güengüe, municipality of CorintoCorinto, Cauca
Corinto is a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia....
, in the then Province of Popayán of the Viceroyalty of New Granada
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given on 27 May 1717, to a Spanish colonial jurisdiction in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. The territory corresponding to Panama was incorporated later in 1739...
in present day Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, he was baptised José María Ramón Iragorri Crespo just two days later on August 10 in the chapel of the García hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
. Society, during the times of the colony, was puritanical and the religious authorities did not allow a single mother to raise a child on her own, thus when he was two years old he was given up for adoption and put in the care of a Criollo
Criollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
family in the home of Juan Luis Obando del Castillo y Frías and Antonia del Campo y López who raised him as their own and gave him their last name. His parentage has been of debate among historians, most argue that he was the illegitimate son of Joseph Iragorri, but others argue and have tried to prove that his father was Pedro Vicente Martínez y Cabal, and others have claimed that he was the biological son of his adoptive father Juan Luis Obando as well.
Despite his humble beginnings, Obando received a formal education in the Real Seminario de Popayán thanks to his adoptive family who were well-off merchants from Pasto
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
loyal to the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
and who consequently had to escape to Pasto after the Battle of Palacé (1811) during the Wars of Independence. Obando married Dolores Espinosa de los Monteros Mesa in 1824 and together had five children: José María, Cornelia, José Dolores, Simón and Micaela, it would have been six since Mrs. Espinosa was pregnant with another child, but both died during childbirth in 1833 leaving him a widower with five small children at his charge. In 1837 he remarries to Timotea Carvajal Marulanda and of this union has three more children: Soledad, Capitolino and Gratiniano.
The Army and his rise to power
During the Wars of Independence the South was still very loyal to Spain, and specially Pasto were Obando joined the Royalists forces under General Sebastián de la Calzada in 1819 in the rank of Captain fighting for the Spanish against the Revolutionary Forces who aimed to gain independence for New Granada from Spain. Nevertheless, on February 7, 1822, he resigns the Spanish cause and joins the Revolutionary Army and embarks in a successful military career. In 1826 he was appointed Civil and Military leader of Pasto by General Francisco de Paula SantanderFrancisco de Paula Santander
Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña , was a Colombian military and political leader during the 1810–1819 independence war of the United Provinces of New Granada...
and was promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
by Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
. In 1827 he resigned his post due to his discomfort with the political establishment which he labelled as undemocratic.
When Simón Bolívar dismissed the Convention of Ocaña and declared himself Dictator of the New Granada on August 27, 1828 and drafted a new constitution. The new constitution was centralist in nature, and Obando fiercely opposed this and in response launched a joint campaign with José Hilario López, revolting in Timbío against Governor Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera y Arboleda was a Colombian general and political figure. He was president of Colombia four times. The first time was as president of Republic of New Granada from 1845 to 1849. During the Colombian Civil War of 1860-1862 he led liberal forces in a civil war against...
, a centralist and Bolívar supporter. Their forces then attacked Popayán on November 12, 1828 seizing the city and ensued to meet and defeated a nearby garrison in the Battle of La Ladera, securing the area and threatening the control of the government in the southwest region of the country forcing Bolívar to sign an armistice with them in order to secure peace. This armistice was favourable for Obando and López, on October 8, 1829 Bolívar ascended Obando to the rank of General and designated him Commandant-General
Commandant-General
Commandant-General is a rank in several counties and is generally equivalent to that of Commandant.-Italy:Comandante generale , in Fascist Italy's MVSN, was the title of the head of the Blackshirts, held by Benito Mussolini from 1922 to 1943.Nowadays, is the title held by the commander of the...
of the Department of Cauca
Bolívar's actions had angered more than just Obando, the level of opposition was such that he resigned in 1830 after surviving an assassination attempt by his political enemies in the north. The political vacuum and struggle for power left by his resignation led to a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the acting President Domingo Caycedo
Domingo Caycedo
Domingo de Caycedo y Sanz de Santamaría was a Colombian statesman who served as Vice-president of Gran Colombia and the Republic of New Granada, and due to the absence of the presidents, he himself served as President a total of eleven times, making him the person to have served more times as...
on September 5, 1830 by Venezuelan General Rafael Urdaneta
Rafael Urdaneta
Rafael José Urdaneta y Faría was a Venezuelan General and hero of the Spanish American wars of independence in several countries in northern South America.- Biographic data :...
. This new encroachment to the constitution spurred Obando to take action against the government once again, this time in defence of the government left by Bolívar. Obando convened the Assembly of Cauca
Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca
The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca is the department assembly of the Colombian Department of Valle del Cauca. The assembly is part of the Colombian legislative branch of government at a Provincial level and its main function is to debate, approve or change the local ordinances.-History:The...
in Buga
Buga, Valle del Cauca
Buga formally Guadalajara de Buga is a city and municipality in the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia. It is famous for its Basilica del Señor de los Milagros, which houses an image of Christ called El Señor de los Milagros .-History:Guadalajara de Buga is one of the oldest cities in...
on November 10, 1830 to speak out against the dictatorship and organize the armies to fight it. The makeshift military alliance commanded by Obando and Lopéz strike on February 10, 1831 at the Battle of El Papayal in Palmira delivering a devastating blow to the dictatorship forces. From Palmira, Obando's forced moved to Cali
Santiago de Cali
Santiago de Cali , simply referred to as Cali, is a city in western Colombia and the capital of the Valle del Cauca Department. With a population of 2.5 million, Cali is the third largest city in the country. It has one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure in the country because...
, then to Neiva
Neiva
Neiva is the Capital of the Department of Huila. It is located in the valley of the Magdalena River in south central Colombia with a population of about 378,857 inhabitants...
fighting the opposition. This conflict did not escalate further thanks to a compromised reached by Vicepresident Caycedo and Gen. Urdaneta, the Apulo Compromised secured a peaceful change of power with the compromised that key members of both sides would receive promotions. The Exaltados, as the faction which Obando belonged, were unhappy with the compromise as they wanted to purge the government and army from the Bolivarians, some of them even wanted to overthrow Caycedo once again and replace him with Obando, but his good friend José Hilario López prevented them from doing so knowing that Obando, who fought the two previous unconstitutional grabs of power would be against it.
Vice presidency 1831–1832
Following the vacuum of power left by the resignation of Bolívar, the dissolution of the Gran Colombia, the struggle of power between Urdaneta and Caycedo, and the larger contention between federalists and Centralists, a National Constituent AssemblyConstituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
was convened on November 15, 1831 to draft a new constitution for the nation. Vice President Caycedo, who had been the Acting President after the resignation of Bolívar, proceeded to submit his resignation to the assembly on the same day it first convened; the assembly postponed the matter until it was decided whether or not to establish a provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
. Finally the constituent assembly voted to implement a provisional government while a new constitution was drafted, for this purpose they elected José María Obando as Vice President, office which given the absence of a President made him the Acting President
Acting president
An Acting President is a person who temporarily fills the role of an organization's or country's president, either when the real president is unavailable or when the post is vacant .-See also:*Acting *Acting President of Pakistan*Acting President of Malta*Acting President of...
as well, and Obando was sworn in on November 23, 1831.
As provisional acting president, Obando sanctioned on February 29, 1832 the Constitution of 1832 which among other things, changed the name of the country to Republic of the New Granada and implemented many of the Federalist ideals Obando championed. The Constituent Assembly also elected Santander as President while formal elections were carried out. Obando had once again been a candidate for Vice President this time around, but the objections of those who feared having a popular caudillo
Caudillo
Caudillo is a Spanish word for "leader" and usually describes a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. The term translates into English as leader or chief, or more pejoratively as warlord, dictator or strongman. Caudillo was the term used to refer to the charismatic...
in power proved too much and the assembly voted to elect a civilian instead; on March 10, 1832 José Ignacio de Márquez
José Ignacio de Márquez
José Ignacio de Márquez Barreto was a Colombian statesman, lawyer and professor, who served as Vice President of Colombia under the presidency of Francisco de Paula Santander, and subsequently was elected President of the Republic of the New Granada for the presidential term of 1837 to 1841.- ...
was sworn in as the new Vice President succeeding Obando not only as Vice President but as acting President as well given that Santander was exiled in New York at the time of the election.
Return to Nariño
While the Constituent Assembly was drafting the constitution a conflict was developing in the south, the Congress of Ecuador had issued a Decree annexing the province of Cauca to their territory and sent in President Juan José FloresJuan José Flores
Juan José Flores y Aramburu was a Venezuelan military general who became Supreme Chief, and later the first President of the new Republic of Ecuador. He later served two more terms from 1839 to 1843 and from 1843 to 1845, and is often referred to as "The founder of the Republic".-Biography:Flores...
to enforce it. In response to Ecuador’s actions the Neogranadine assembly issued a decree of territorial integrity and dispatched General López to keep Ecuador at bay. López managed to secure the provinces of Choco and Popayán, but the provinces of Cauca and Buenaventura remained under the military control of Ecuador. Obando, who had stayed behind in Bogotá as head of the provisional government was sent immediately by Vice President Márquez upon taking power to defend the territory, and once all the diplomatic options were exhausted, Márquez sent in reinforcements and support to aid Obando who was the commander of the 1st Army Division to take the Cauca by force. From Popayán Obando marched to Pasto with 1,500 soldiers and was able to take the Pasto with no struggle or conflict as the invading army had left in anticipation.
Election of 1837
The presidential election of 1837 stands in contrast to the pattern followed in 19th Century Latin America as the favoured candidate by the President and his administration was defeated. Santander had picked Obando for his strong military background over the popular civilians candidates like José Ignacio de Márquez, his Vice President, and Vicente Azuero. Many objected to Obando's candidacy because of his alleged role in the assassination of General Sucre, but Santander saw past that for he believed that the country was not yet ready for civilian rule and that Obando's military record cleared his name. In the election, which at the time were held indirectlyIndirect election
Indirect election is a process in which voters in an election don't actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents...
, Obando received 536 votes falling short of the 616 received by Márquez but still enough votes that prevented Márquez to receive the required majority which forced the task of electing a President to Congress, unfortunately for Obando allegiances fell once the responsibility fell to the congress, some like General Mosquera who had initially lent his support to Obando flattered and voted for Márquez instead, it was the case that Congress was still made up of a lot of members who had been loyal to Bolívar and formed a bloc with the moderate liberals to elect Márquez to Presidency leaving Obando in defeat, also unusual in a circumstance like this was the peaceful transition of power, Obando admitted defeat and Márquez became President of New Granada that same year.
War of the Supremes
In 1839 Obando was thrust into a war or religious and political ramification that threated to tear the country apart. The conflict began when Congress passed a law to suppress small convents and monasteries and re-appropriate the land in Pasto, the law was not intended to punish the Church as the places in question were indeed small and sparingly occupied by mostly Ecuadorian clergy, but the deeply Roman Catholic province went up in arms at the involvement of the government in their religious affairs, even after the Bishop of Popayán had approved of the measure. Obando who had returned to private life in his hacienda of Las Piedras near Pasto was divided on the issue as he was not pro-clergy but was torn on supporting his people. In Bogotá the opposition party, made up of those who supported Santander, wanted President Márquez to appoint Obando to quell the uprisings, but he chose to appoint Generals Mosquera and Pedro Alcántara HerránPedro Alcántara Herrán
Pedro Alcántara Herrán Martínez de Zaldúa was a Colombian general and statesman who served as President of the Republic of the New Granada between 1841 and 1845. As a general he served in the wars of independence of the New Granada and of Peru....
instead. Obando tried to remain out of the conflict and moved to Bogotá to prove his non-complicity. The tied turned for Obando when he was implicated in the assassination of Sucre after Herrán captured José Erazo, a guerrilla soldier that fought in Obando´s division. According to Erazo, Obando had ordered him to carry out the assassination, and with his testimony a judge in Pasto issued an arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
for Obando. The implications were largely believed to be political since Obando was the most likely candidate for the following presidential elections, and his enemies wanted him out of the race. Obando willing to clear his name traveled to Popayán to clear his name but it was clear that by then the conflict had become political and when he arrived to Popayán he led a short revolt against the government that quickly ended in an agreement with General Herrán and Obando continued on his way to Pasto.
Once in his political and military stronghold, Obando entered in open rebellion declaring himself "Supreme Director of the War in Pasto, General in Chief of the Restoring Army, and Protector of the Religion of Christ Crucified", and calling for a revert to Federalism
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
a popular and regionalist cause that was quickly picked up by supporters of Santander nationwide. Soon 12 out of the 20 provinces of New Granada were controlled by the Supremos, so called because they took up titles similar to Obando's calling themselves supreme directors of their region, 4 more provinces were partly occupied, and the government had trouble defending the remaining 4. From Santa Marta
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
to Casanare to Pasto
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
the Federalists were in control, but though large in numbers and support, they fought in separately so the army of the Supreme Director of Santa Marta fought his battles alone and not with the help of the Supreme Director of Antioquia. President Márquez desperate to take control went to recruit the help of Ecuadorian President Juan José Flores, an old enemy of Obando, to help him quell the rebellion in Pasto. The united forces of Generals Herrán, Mosquera and Flores defeated Obando at the Battle at Huilquipamba, delivering a devastating blow but providing the winners only a Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
, but with Obando defeated the rebel troops would not be able to unify under a single leader anymore.
Exile and return
With Obando defeated, the War of the Supremes quickly ended in favour of the government, Obando decided to go into exile and fled to PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
where he was welcomed by President Juan Crisóstomo Torrico
Juan Crisóstomo Torrico
Juan Crisóstomo Torrico González was President of Peru during a brief period in 1842. At age 34, he was the youngest ever president of Peru....
, but when the latter was ousted by Juan Francisco de Vidal, the new administration gave in to the extradition request that New Granada put in through its Ambassador in Ecuador Rufino Cuervo y Barreto and its Ambassador in Peru Juan Antonio Pardo. Obando then escaped to Chile under the protection of President Manuel Bulnes Prieto.
He remained in exile until January 1, 1849 when then President Mosquera gave amnesty to all those who committed political crimes. Obando returned to New Granada on March 13 of that same year and asked Mosquera to open a trial for him to be judged for his alleged involvement in the death of Sucre. Mosquera refused and the matter was passed to Congress where a proposed decree was introduced that allowed individuals to give up their immunity to stand trial. This resolution passed in the Chamber of Representatives
Chamber of Representatives of Colombia
The Chamber of Representatives is the lower house of the Congress of Colombia.The Chamber has 166 elected members for four-year terms.-How the Chamber is elected:...
but it was voted down in the Senate
Senate of Colombia
The Senate of the Republic of Colombia is the upper house of the Congress of Colombia, with the lower house being the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia...
, where allies of Obando also voted to prevent this to happen fearing that he would be found guilty.
In 1849 his good friend José Hilario López was elected president of the New Granada ending the decade of Conservative rule. The new president appointed him Governor of the Province of Cartagena de Indias where Obando remained for little over a year returning to Bogotá after being elected a Member of the Chamber of Representatives by the Province of Bogotá, where he was able to revive his popularity and support and quickly rose to prominence becoming President of the Chamber in 1850
Presidency 1853–1854
At the time of the presidential election of 1853 the then nascent Liberal PartyColombian Liberal Party
The Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
was divided in three factions, the Radicals, the new social liberals, the Golgothas, the young progressive liberals, and the Draconians, the strict old liberal elite. The Radicals presented the candidature of Tomás de Herrera
Tomás de Herrera
Tomás José Ramón del Carmen de Herrera y Pérez Dávila was a neogranadine statesman and general who in 1840 became the first Head of State of the Free State of the Isthmus, now Panama...
, a Panamanian General, the Golgothas choose José de Obaldía
José de Obaldía
José Vicente Arcenio de Obaldía y Orejuela was a Neogranadine statesmen and lawyer, who served as President of the Republic of the New Granada in two occasions between 1851–1852 and 1854-1855...
, and the Draconians presented that of José María Obando; the also emerging Conservative Party
Colombian Conservative Party
The Colombian Conservative Party , is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was unofficially founded by a group of Revolutionary Commoners during the Revolutionary War for Independence from the Spanish Monarchy and later formally established during the Greater Colombia...
did not present a candidate for the election choosing rather to abstain from the election and not vote. Obando won the elections by 1,548 votes, and Congress appointed Herrera 1st Designate and Obaldía as Vice President. Obando was inaugurated on April 1, 1853 in the Cathedral of Bogotá
Primary Cathedral of Bogotá
The Archbishopric Cathedral of Bogotá is a Roman Catholic cathedral located at the eastern side of Bolívar Square in Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. It is seat of the Archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Mon. Pedro Rubiano Saenz....
before the Congress Assembled becoming the 6th elected President of the Republic of the New Granada.
The first order of business for President Obando was to sanction the Constitution of 1853 which had been introduced in 1851. Congress passed the new Constitution on May 16, and was sanctioned on May 21. The new constitution was unprecedented in Latin America and far too liberal for the nation at the time, in it federalism prevailed, slavery was abolished, suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
was extended to all married men aged 21 and older, and the direct popular vote
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
was implemented to elect governors, magistrates, congressmen and the president and vice president. Most shocking of all was the separation of church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
and the freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
that it established, going as far as taking the juristic power held by the Church and subjecting its members to civil law. Obando a fervent Catholic whose political support stemmed from a region that had erupted in civil war just a few years back from closing a few convents was not happy to sign the new document. The Draconians, who had postulated Obando for president also wanted him to veto the constitution as they disagreed with its radical liberal nature which had been a product of the Golgothas. Nevertheless Obando ratified it and it became the new constitution.
Coup
Bogotá became the heated stage of conflicts between the artisan class and the merchant class. In 1853 a group of artisans had petitioned the government to increase import taxes to protect the national economy, they argued that many of these imports were goods that could be manufactured in the country. A bill was drawn up and passed the Chamber of Representatives, but the measure died in the Senate. An angry crowd gathered outside congress and a violent altercation erupted between artisans, merchants and politicians. The crowd was dispersed but the animosity between these groups only grew in the following months, different public events seemed to be a stage for confrontations between these groups which had come to be known as the ruanas (ponchos) who were the artisans, and the casacas (Frock coatFrock coat
A frock coat is a man's coat characterised by knee-length skirts all around the base, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The double-breasted style is sometimes called a Prince Albert . The frock coat is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at the back, and some features...
s) who were the well off merchant class. President Obando persuaded by those close to him sided with the ruanas, a move that destroyed his support in the capital among the elite and created animosity within his own party. Soon the talk of revolution was in the air, it seemed everyone in Bogotá had different plans for revolution: reports that the Conservatives were going to revolt, that the Golothas were going to mount a coup, that the ruanas were going to overrun the city, and that the casacas were mounting an internal coup, all seemed to come from one place and another and even though preventive measures were taking the rumours only grew louder. President Obando, who had been informed of all the details of the rumoured plans dismissed them as baseless gossip; different leaders, among them Vice President Obaldía, informed President Obando that his General Commander of the Army of Cundinamarca, José María Melo
José María Melo
José María Dionisio Melo y Ortiz was a Colombian general and politician of Pijao ancestry, who fought in the South American wars of independence, and who in 1854 rose to power and held the presidency of Colombia. In August, 1850, artisans demanded protection and the creation of a national workshop...
would be the most likely culprit of the rebellion and that he needed to discharge him from the Army at once to prevent any future attack to government. Obando however, believed that doing so would disturb the public order, and that there was no proof of Melo's involvement in any of this.
Obando's disbelief and inaction catalysed the events which occurred in the morning of Abril 17, 1854. General Melo arrived at his door and informed President Obando that he would mount a coup and invited him to suspend government and establish a provisional dictatorship to resolve the problems of the country. Obando baffled by the well announced and warned event that was taking place could not believe what was happening, he who after all had fought the dictatorships of Bolívar and Urdaneta, and who had fought against the regimes of Márquez, Herrán and Mosquera was now faced with the decision to become a dictator or a deposed president. President Obando declined him, and said he refused to take any power than that which was legitimately given to him by the people, and willingly and quietly accepted his fate to go down rather than to betray his convictions, thus a successful bloodless coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
had been launched by Melo. Obando was taken prisoner along with most members of his cabinet and many congressmen, some were able to escape and took refuge in the 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....
of the United States.
Death
Obando was killed with six spearSpear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s in the back, four in his chest and a contussion in the head. When he was dead his upper lip was cut off by Sebastían Tobar with a knife in order to remove his signature moustache. He was buried on May 1, 1861 in the Cemetery of Funza
Funza
Funza is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
. He was survived by his second wife Timotea and his eight children. On August 19, 1869 his remains were exhumed and reburied in the family estate of El Empedradero in Popayán, and afterwards they were moved to the ossuary
Ossuary
An ossuary is a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary...
of the church of San Agustín, where they remained until they were moved once again through the lobbying of Antonio José Lemos Guzmán to the Pantheon of the Forefathers (Panteón de los Próceres).