Juan José Flores

Infobox_President
name=Juan José Flores
nationality=Ecuadorian


caption= Portrait by Antonio Salas
birth_date=birth date|1800|07|19|mf=y
birth_place=Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
death_date=death date and age|1864|10|01|1800|07|19|mf=y
death_place=Puná Island, Ecuador
Under house arrest abroad his ship
spouse=Mercedes Jijón de Vivanco y Chiriboga
party=
religion=Roman Catholic
order=President of Ecuador, 3rd Term
term_start=April 1, 1843
term_end=March 6, 1845
vicepresident=Francisco Marcos (1843-1845)
predecessor=Interim Presidency
successor=José Joaquín de Olmedo
order2=Interim President of Ecuador
term_start2=January 15, 1843
term_end2=April 1, 1843
predecessor2=
successor2=
order3=President of Ecuador, 2nd Term
term_start3=February 1, 1839
term_end3=January 15, 1843
vicepresident3=Francisco Javier Aguirre (1839-1843)
predecessor3=Vicente Rocafuerte
successor3=Interim Presidency
order4=1st President of Ecuador
term_start4=September 22, 1830
term_end4=September 10, 1834
vicepresident4= José Joaquín Olmedo (1830-1831)
José Modesto Larrea (1831-1834)
predecessor4=None
successor4=Vicente Rocafuerte
order5=Provisional President of Ecuador
term_start5=August 14, 1830
term_end5=September 11, 1830
vicepresident5=
predecessor5=
successor5=
order6=Supreme Chief of Ecuador
term_start6=May 13, 1830
term_end6=August 14, 1845
predecessor6=
successor6=

Juan José Flores y Aramburu (July 19, 1800–October 1, 1864), called "The founder of the Republic", was a military general who became the first president of Ecuador in 1830, and later served two more terms, from 1839 to 1843 and from 1843 to 1845.

Military Career

Flores was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and joined the army at the age of 15. He became a general in 1829 after his victory over invading Peruvian forces at Tarqui. He was implicated in the assassination of Antonio José de Sucre on June 4, 1830, but his involvement is only suspected.

Political Life

On May 13, 1830, the day of Ecuador's breaking away from Gran Colombia, he was named supreme chief of the new country, and then on August 14, 1830, he was named provisional president. His official term, however, did not start until September 22, 1830, 11 days after he was elected constitutional president by the assembly in Riobamba. That term lasted until September 10, 1834, and was marked with much turmoil. Flores faced a rebellion led by Luis Urdaneta, a loyalist of Simón Bolívar, who wanted to prevent Ecuador from leaving Gran Colombia. Flores also faced a threat from a member of the Ecuadorian congress, Vicente Rocafuerte, who attempted to overthrow him. Eventually, the two made an agreement – Rocafuerte would become president after Flores, and Flores would become leader of the military. Also during his term, he fought an invading Colombian army in 1832 and again starting in 1834, finally defeating them on January 18, 1835 in Miñarica, near Ambato.

Flores' second term began on February 1, 1839, and ended January 15, 1843. The beginning of his term was marked by peace and social development—he kept his word to rule justly and to defend freedom. However, in the last year of his term, he intervened militarily in the politics of Nueva Granada at the request of the Colombian government, fighting his old enemy, José María Obando. When later forced to intervene again, he was attacked by the Colombian army and his popularity at home fell. Then, after irregularities in the elections of 1842, he pushed to have the 1835 constitution annulled, and the new constitution, nicknamed the "Carta de la esclavitud" ("letter of slavery") allowed him to continue in power for a third term, which began April 1, 1843. During this term, Flores fought to remain in power, but was ultimately overthrown on March 6, 1845 by a rebellion led by Rocafuerte and Vicente Ramón Roca, the man who became the next president of Ecuador.

Death & Family

Flores married Mercedes Jijón de Vivanco y Chiriboga in 1824, and one of their 12 children, Antonio, became president of Ecuador in 1888. Juan José Flores died of uremia in 1864 while in house arrest under the dictatorship of Diego Noboa.

References

* [http://www.presidencia.gov.ec/modulos.asp?id=29 Presidential biography] (Spanish language). Accessed May 16, 2005.
* [http://www.edufuturo.com/educacion.php?c=206 Presidential terms and events] (Spanish language). Accessed May 16, 2005.