Antonio Valero de Bernabé facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio Valero de Bernabé
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Brigadier General Antonio Valero de Bernabé
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| Birth name | Antonio Valero de Bernabé Pacheco |
| Born | October 26, 1790 Fajardo, Puerto Rico |
| Died | June 7, 1863 (aged 72) Bogotá, Colombia |
| Allegiance | Spanish Army, Mexican Revolutionary Army, Venezuelan Patriot Army |
| Years of service | 1807–1863 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands held | Military Chief of the Department of Panama, Governor of Puerto Cabello, Chief of Staff of Colombia, Minister of War and Maritime of Venezuela |
| Battles/wars | Second Siege of Zaragoza, Mexican War of Independence, Spanish American wars of independence |
| Awards | The Bust of the Liberator of Venezuela, The Medal of the Liberators of Mexico, The Bust of the Liberator of Peru, Medal del Callao |
Antonio Vicente Miguel Valero de Bernabé Pacheco (October 26, 1790 – June 7, 1863), a.k.a. The Liberator from Puerto Rico, was a Puerto Rican military leader. He was known as the Liberator of Puerto Rico. He believed in creating a confederation of Latin American states, a dream shared by Simón Bolívar.
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Early years
Bernabé's father was an officer in the Spanish army and his mother was a Puerto Rican from a wealthy family. His father died when he was a child, and he was sent by his family to Spain to study military science, where he graduated as a junior officer in 1807. On September 12, 1811, Bernabé married María Madrid in Cartagena, Spain.
Military servcie in Spain
Having graduated and been promoted to the rank of officer, Bernabé fought in the Spanish army. By this time Napoleon Bonaparte had convinced the Spanish king Charles IV to allow him pass through Spain to attack Portugal; when Bonaparte refused to leave Spanish soil, Spain declared war on him. Valero's contribution to the defeat of Napoleon's army at the Battle of Saragossa earned him many honors and the rank of colonel.
When Ferdinand VII succeeded to the Spanish throne in 1813, Bernabé was critical of the new king's policy toward the Spanish colonies in Latin America. He renounced the monarchy, resigned from the army, and emigrated to Mexico.
Military service in Mexico
There he joined the Army of the Three Guarantees headed by Agustín de Iturbide, and was appointed as Chief of Staff. He successfully fought for Mexico's independence from Spain, achieved in 1821, after which the people proclaimed Iturbide the Emperor of Mexico, gaining the rank of Brigadier General. Since Bernabé had developed anti-monarchist feelings following his experiences in Spain, he led an unsuccessful revolt against Iturbide. He fled the country, but was captured by a Spanish pirate and handed over to the authorities in Cuba, where he was imprisoned. Valero de Bernabé escaped from jail with the help of a group of supporters of secessionists from South America.
He joined Simón Bolívar to fight for the independence of the Central and South American colonies from Spain.
The Liberator of Puerto Rico
After learning of Bolívar's political project, Bernabé decided to join him and went to the Danish colony of Saint Thomas to establish contacts with the Puerto Rican independence movement. He traveled to Venezuela, where he meet with General Carlos Soublette and General Francisco de Paula Santander.
Later, he enlisted in the Army of the South to carry out the liberation of Ecuador and Peru. On December 9, 1824, under the command of General Antonio José de Sucre, he was instrumental in defeating the Spanish army in the battle of Ayacucho. In 1825 he was appointed by Bolivar as Chief of Staff of the besieging forces of Callao, the last Spanish stronghold in South America, until its surrender in January 1826. Later he named Bernabé Second Military Chief of the Department of the Isthmus (Panama) and in 1829 he promoted him to the rank of Brigadier General of the Liberating Army. In Venezuela, he was Military Commander of the Valleys of Aragua, Military Governor of Puerto Cabello, Chief of Operations against the factions of Tamanaco and Güires, whom he defeated. In the province of Caracas he was Commander of Arms.
Throughout his career, he was loyal to Bolivar and a trusted friend of his. Some time later, he was falsely accused of conspiring against Bolívar and was exiled to Saint Thomas, together with his wife María Madrid and their children. When Bolívar died in 1830, Valero de Bernabé was allowed to serve as an honour guard at his funeral. He remained politically active until his own death.
Life in Venezuela
Valero de Bernabé remained at St. Thomas for a year. Recognizing his military career, the government granted a pension to his family.
In May 1831, Valero de Bernabé was allowed back into Venezuela. There he was offered to retake military office. He took the offer, initially remaining distant from the increasingly unstable political landscape.
Bernabé was one of the founders of the Liberal Party of Venezuela. In 1840, he was married for the second time, to Teresa Martínez. In 1842, Bernabé was commissioned by the government of General Páez, as organizer of the repatriation of the mortal remains of the Liberator Simón Bolívar and of the funeral of his burial in the cathedral of Caracas. In 1853, Venezuela honored Bernabé by presenting him with the Bust of the Liberator of Venezuela.
On July 2, 1858, a federal revolution led by generals Zamora and Juan Crisóstomo Falcón took over the province and named Valero de Bernabé the revolutionary leader for the state of Aragua. After the revolution was forced to retreat, Valero de Bernabé travelled towards Colombia, where President Mosquera appointed him Commander in Chief of the First Division to the State of Boyacá, as Military Chief of the State. He state in Colombia until his death.
Death
Valero de Bernabé died on June 7, 1863, at 11:00 p.m. unable to reunite with his family at Venezuela. On June 9, 1863, Valero de Bernabé was laid to rest in a local cemetery. Afterwards, his family remained at Venezuela. With time the exact location of his body was lost, due to lack of maintenance and his figure fell out of the Colombian traditions.
General Guzmán Blanco, president of Venezuela, decreed that Valero's remains be transferred to Caracas to be buried in the National Pantheon of Caracas, where the remains of Bolívar and other heroes of the Independence rest. This decree could not be fulfilled because they could not find his tomb; however, his name is inscribed on a bronze plaque placed in one of the lateral naves of the Pantheon.
Legacy
Puerto Rico has honored Bernabé's memory by naming schools and avenues after him. There is also a statue of Bernabé in the city of Fajardo, where he was born.
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Simón Bolívar
- Agustín de Iturbide
- María de las Mercedes Barbudo
- Ducoudray Holstein Expedition
