Custodio García Rovira
José Custodio Cayetano García Rovira | ||
---|---|---|
Vice President Liborio Mejía | | |
Preceded by | Liborio Mejía | |
Succeeded by | Fernando Serrano | |
Personal details | ||
Born | March 2, 1780 Bucaramanga, Santander | |
Died | August 8, 1816 Bogotá, Colombia | |
Political party | Federalist | |
Spouse | María Josefa Piedrahita y Sáenz | |
| ||
José Custodio Cayetano García Rovira (March 2, 1780 – August 8, 1816) was a Neogranadine general, statesman and painter, who fought for the independence of
Education
García was the son of Juan de Dios García Navas and Rosa Rovira de García, he was born on March 2, 1780, in
García's appetite for knowledge made him a celebrated figure in the
Because of his extensive education, he was known as El Estudiante (The Student).[8]
Political and military life
After the Revolution of July 20, 1810, García started working for the new formed government, on August he started working as a lawyer in the Appeals Tribunal of Bogotá. He was later appointed Lieutenant of the Army of Tunja, by its Governor Juan Nepomuceno Niño. He started getting involved in politics in Tunja since the Congress of the United Provinces was situated there. On July 25, 1812 he was elected governor to the Province of Socorro in a popular election.[9]
Triumvirate
On September 23, 1814, the
Presidential nomination
On June 22, 1816, president Fernández Madrid, arrived in Popayán after fleeing the invasion of Bogotá by Pablo Morillo, once in Popayán he presented his resignation to the Permanent Legislative Commission of Congress, then assembled in Popayán.[14] The commission named García as President-Dictator and Liborio Mejía as Vice President,[15] the latter, however, became the acting President while García headed toward Popayán to accept the presidency.[16]
Marriage
García, who was leading the forces behind Fernández Madrid on his way to Popayán, was delayed in a short and unforeseen event. When Bogotá was invaded, not only the President escaped, but also did other prominent figures of the city, among them the Piedrahita Family. One of their daughters was María Josefa Piedrahita y Sáenz, known to her family and friends as "Pepita". It is not sure whether they knew each other from before, but on the way to Popayán, Pepita, of only 16 years of age, caught the attention of Custodio, and María Josefa asked to take her with him, as she would prefer to face the dangers of the jungle than to be captured by the Spaniards,[17] their mutual affection escalated, and Custodio asked María Josefa to marry her. And so, in the mist of war, in an improvised ceremony, they got married by Friar Francisco Antonio Florido, who was also fleeing Bogotá with them.[18]
Presidency
Short after Liborio Mejía was vested with the presidential powers, he led his small army to face
Unfortunately for both of them, and for the nation, Sámano caught on with them in La Plata, and defeated their weak outnumbered forces. They managed to escape but shortly after they were both captured and taken prisoners.
When they arrived at La Plata the small army they had left was confronted with an army of Spaniards commanded by colonel
Legacy
García died at the age of 36, leaving behind his wife María Josefa Piedrahita, to whom he had only been married less than two months. After the defeat of the Spaniards years later, Santander granted pension to the widows of the martyrs of the Independence, among them Piedrahita de García.[22]
García is highly regarded[
In Bucaramanga, where he was born, the first statue ever erected in 1907 was in his honor; it was a metal sculpture by the German artist Xavier Arnold,[24] and it is located in the park also constructed in his honor and named Parque García Rovira, in the center of the city, right next to the City Hall.
Also in Bucaramanga, the city commemorated the ex-president and painter opening the Casa de la Cultura Custodio García Rovira, a fine arts museum that holds exhibitions of different painters.
References
- ^ Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography - Page 110. Edited by John Fiske, James Grant Wilson.
- ^ Homenaje que el Centro de historia de Santander en nombre del gobierno y del pueblo santandereano, rinde a los próceres regionales con ocasión de celebrarse el primer centenario de la muerte del libertador Simón Bolívar. by Academia de Historia de Santander.
- ^ Ciencia, filosofía y educación en Colombia(siglo XVIII) By Juan Manuel Pacheco, Page 176
- ^ Custodio García Rovira, By Javier López Ocampo, Library Luis Ángel Arango, [1]
- ^ Educación de la mujer durante la época colonial Autor: Patricia Londoño Vega, Profesora, Universidad de Antioquia | Fuente: Boletín Cultural y Bibliogáfico. Número 37. Volumen XXXI "Catholic.net - Educación de la mujer durante la época colonial". Archived from the original on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
- ^ Historia de Colombia para la enseñanza secundaria By Jesús María Henao, Gerardo Arrubla (Page 309) [2]
- ^ Moda y libertad. Respiro de vida.Por Ángela Gómez Cely Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Biblioteca de historia nacional -Page 115, By the Colombian Academy of History.
- ^ Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango Archived 2007-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Revista general de legislación y jurisprudencia -Page 446, By Real Academia de Jurisprudencia y Legislación (Madrid) [3]
- ^ Historia eclesiástica y civil de Nueva Granada: Escrita sobre documentos auténticos -Page 324, By José Manuel Groot, [4]
- ^ Fernando Serrano y Uribe Presidente y Márti By Eduardo Durán Gómez, [5] Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Les États-Unis de Colombie: précis d'histoire et de géographie physique, politique et commerciale -Page 28, By Ricardo S. Pereira [6]
- ^ José Fernández Madrid By Javier López Ocampo, Library Luis Ángel Arango [7]
- ^ Colombia, posesiones presidenciales[1810-1954] (Page 13) By Manuel Monsalve Martiínez
- ^ Popayán, ciudad procera (Page 78) By Luis Martínez-Delgado
- ^ Diccionario biográfico de los campeones de la libertad de Nueva Granada, Venezuela, Ecuador i Perú : que comprende sus servicios, hazañas i virtudes by M Leonídas Scarpetta; Saturnino Vergara, [8]
- ^ María Josefa "Pepita" Piedrahita de García Rovira, the Gendering Latin American Independence: Women's Political Culture and the Textual Construction of Gender 1790-1850 by the University of Nottingham and the University of Manchester, [9] Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Batallas de la Independencia Archived July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rulers of Colombia
- ^ Historia de la literatura en Nueva Granada (Page 448) By José María Vergara y Vergara, [10]
- ^ Santander By Pilar Moreno de Angel
- ^ Nucleo Provincial García Rovira[permanent dead link]
- ^ Paseo por los bustos y estatuas Encuentros profanos con la historia by Leonardo Álvarez, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, "Periodico 15". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-27.