Venancio Flores

Venancio Flores Barrios (18 May, 1808 – 19 February, 1868) was a Uruguayan political leader and general. Flores was President of Uruguay from 1854 to 1855 (interim) and from 1865 to 1868.

Background and early career

In 1839, he was made political chief of the department of San José. He fought in the "Guerra Grande" against Manuel Oribe and his Argentinian backers. He became a leading figure in the Colorado party and formed a triumvirate with Fructuoso Rivera and Juan Antonio Lavalleja in 1853.

First Presidency of Uruguay (interim)

He served as interim President of Uruguay and remained in power until 1855, after which he moved to Argentina.

Civil war role

In 1863, he started a rebellion against the Blanco president Bernardo Berro, which led to civil war in Uruguay. With Argentinian and Brazilian help, by February, 1865 he had taken Montevideo.

econd Presidency of Uruguay

He established a provisional government, a term used to disguise his personal dictatorship. Although the Uruguayan Colorado Party has the reputation of being progressive and democratic, Flores and other Colorado Party leaders of the 19th century, and many prominent 20th century Colorado leaders, collectively demonstrated by their actions that they were comfortable with rule by decree, with power not unusually concentrated in very few people. The tendency of some observers to describe Latin American heads of state who ruled by decree as 'de facto' Presidents may be seen in this light. During his rule, Flores joined Brazil and Argentina in the devastating War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay.

Flores's dictatorship ended on February 15, 1868.

Assassination

Four days after stepping down as President, he was murdered by a group of unidentified assassins. But although Flores' killers were not formally identified, it may be added that as a background to his assassination is the intermittent Uruguayan civil war which continued throughout much of the 19th century between Colorados and Blancos.

ee also

* History of Uruguay