José María Obando facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José María Obando
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| 6th President of the Republic of the New Granada | |
| In office April 1, 1853 – April 17, 1854 |
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| Preceded by | José Hilario López |
| Succeeded by | José María Melo |
| Member of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 1849–1853 |
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| Constituency | Province of Bogotá |
| Vice President of the Republic of the New Granada | |
| In office November 23, 1831 – March 10, 1832 |
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| President | None |
| Preceded by | Domingo Caycedo |
| Succeeded by | José Ignacio de Márquez |
| 6th Secretary of War and Navy | |
| In office 1831–1831 |
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| President | Domingo Caycedo |
| Preceded by | José Miguel Pey |
| Succeeded by | José Hilario López |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
José María Ramón Obando del Campo
August 8, 1795 Miranda, Cauca, Viceroyalty of the New Granada |
| Died | April 29, 1861 (aged 65) El Rosal, Cundinamarca, Granadine Confederation |
| Nationality | Neogranadine |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouses | Dolores Espinosa de los Monteros Mesa (1824–1833) Timotea Carvajal Marulanda (1837–1861) |
José María Ramón Obando del Campo (born August 8, 1795 – died April 29, 1861) was an important general and politician from New Granada (now Colombia). He served as President of Colombia two times. At first, he fought for the Spanish King during the independence wars. Later, he joined the revolutionary forces led by Simón Bolívar. However, after independence, he disagreed with Bolívar's strong central government.
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Early Life and Family
José María Obando was born on August 8, 1795, in Güengüe, a town in what is now Corinto, Colombia. His birth mother was Ana María Crespo. Two days later, he was baptized José María Ramón Iragorri Crespo.
When he was two years old, he was adopted by Juan Luis Obando del Castillo y Frías and Antonia del Campo y López. They raised him as their own son and gave him their family name, Obando. His adoptive family were wealthy merchants from Pasto.
José María received a good education at the Real Seminario de Popayán. In 1824, he married Dolores Espinosa de los Monteros Mesa. They had five children together: José María, Cornelia, José Dolores, Simón, and Micaela. Sadly, his wife and another unborn child died during childbirth in 1833. In 1837, he married Timotea Carvajal Marulanda. They had three more children: Soledad, Capitolino, and Gratiniano.
Joining the Army
During the Wars of Independence, many people in the southern parts of New Granada were still loyal to Spain. In 1819, Obando joined the Spanish Royalist forces as a Captain. He fought against the revolutionaries who wanted independence from Spain.
However, on February 7, 1822, Obando changed sides. He joined the Revolutionary Army and began a successful military career. By 1826, General Francisco de Paula Santander made him the leader of Pasto. Simón Bolívar then promoted him to Colonel. In 1827, Obando left his position because he felt the government was not democratic enough.
Opposing Bolívar
In 1828, Simón Bolívar declared himself Dictator of New Granada. He created a new constitution that gave the central government a lot of power. Obando strongly disagreed with this. He teamed up with José Hilario López and started a revolt in Timbío.
Their forces attacked Popayán on November 12, 1828, and took control of the city. They also won a battle nearby, which made the government worried. Bolívar had to sign a peace agreement with them. This agreement was good for Obando and López. In 1829, Bolívar promoted Obando to General and made him the Commander-General of the Cauca region.
When Bolívar resigned in 1830, there was a power struggle. A Venezuelan general named Rafael Urdaneta took power in a military takeover. Obando saw this as another attack on the constitution. He gathered forces to fight against Urdaneta's government. Obando's forces won a major battle in Palmira in 1831. This conflict ended peacefully with an agreement that led to a change in government.
Becoming Vice President
After Bolívar resigned and the country of Gran Colombia broke apart, a new assembly met in November 1831. Their goal was to write a new constitution for the nation. The acting president, Domingo Caycedo, resigned. The assembly then chose José María Obando as vice president. Since there was no president, Obando became the acting president on November 23, 1831.
As acting president, Obando approved the Colombian Constitution of 1832. This new constitution changed the country's name to the Republic of the New Granada. It also included many of the ideas Obando supported, like giving more power to local regions (federalism). The assembly then elected Santander as president. On March 10, 1832, José Ignacio de Márquez became the new vice president, taking over from Obando.
Defending the Nation
While the new constitution was being written, a conflict started in the south. The country of Ecuador tried to take over the province of Cauca. Ecuador's president, Juan José Flores, sent troops to enforce this. New Granada's assembly declared that their territory was whole and sent General López to stop Ecuador.
López secured some areas, but parts of Cauca remained under Ecuador's control. Obando, who was in Bogotá, was immediately sent by Vice President Márquez to defend the territory. Obando marched to Pasto with 1,500 soldiers and took the city without a fight, as the Ecuadorian army had already left.
Presidential Election of 1837
In the 1837 Colombian presidential election, President Santander supported Obando. Santander believed Obando's military background was important for the country. However, some people did not want Obando to be president because of old accusations against him.
Obando received many votes but not enough to win outright. This meant that the Congress had to choose the president. Many members of Congress who had been loyal to Bolívar voted for José Ignacio de Márquez instead. Obando lost the election, but he accepted the defeat peacefully. This was unusual for the time, and Márquez became president.
The War of the Supremes
In 1839, Obando became involved in a major conflict called the War of the Supremes. This war started when the government passed a law to close some small convents in Pasto. Even though the local bishop approved, the people of Pasto, who were very religious, were angry.
Obando, who had retired to his farm, was torn. He didn't fully support the church's power, but he also wanted to support his people. The government chose other generals to stop the uprisings. Obando tried to stay out of the conflict.
However, things changed for Obando when he was accused of being involved in the death of General Antonio Jose de Sucre. A soldier claimed that Obando had ordered him to carry out the act. An arrest warrant was issued for Obando. Many believed these accusations were political, meant to stop Obando from running for president again. Obando went to Popayán to clear his name. He led a short revolt there, which ended in an agreement, and he continued to Pasto.
Once in Pasto, Obando openly rebelled. He declared himself "Supreme Director of the War in Pasto" and called for a return to Federalism. This idea, which gave more power to local regions, quickly gained support across the country. Soon, 12 out of 20 provinces were controlled by leaders called "Supremos" (Supremes), similar to Obando.
President Márquez asked Ecuadorian President Juan José Flores for help. The combined forces of Generals Herrán, Mosquera, and Flores defeated Obando at the Battle of Huilquipamba. This was a big blow to the rebels, and without Obando to unite them, the War of the Supremes soon ended.
Exile and Return
After his defeat, Obando went into exile. He fled to Peru, where he was welcomed by the president. But when that president was removed from power, the new government agreed to send Obando back to New Granada. Obando then escaped to Chile, where he was protected by President Manuel Bulnes Prieto.
He stayed in exile until January 1, 1849. At that time, President Mosquera offered forgiveness to all who had committed political crimes. Obando returned to New Granada on March 13, 1849. He asked for a trial to clear his name regarding the accusations about Sucre's death. Congress debated this, but his allies voted against it to protect him.
In 1849, his friend José Hilario López became president. López appointed Obando as Governor of the Province of Cartagena de Indias. Obando stayed there for over a year. He then returned to Bogotá after being elected as a Member of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives. He quickly became popular again and was elected President of the Chamber in 1850.
Presidency (1853–1854)
In the 1853 Colombian presidential election, the Colombian Liberal Party was divided. Obando was chosen as the candidate for one of the Liberal groups. The Colombian Conservative Party did not put forward a candidate. Obando won the election with 1,548 votes. He became the 6th elected President of the Republic of the New Granada on April 1, 1853.
One of President Obando's first tasks was to approve the Constitution of 1853. This new constitution was very liberal for its time. It gave more power to local regions (federalism). It also ended slavery and allowed all married men aged 21 and older to vote. It introduced direct popular voting for many officials, including the president.
Most surprisingly, it separated the church and the state. This meant the church no longer had legal power and its members were subject to civil law. Obando was a strong Catholic, and his supporters had even fought a war over religious issues. He was not happy to sign the new document. However, Obando approved it, and it became the new constitution.
The 1854 Takeover
Bogotá became a place of conflict between different social groups. In 1853, artisans (skilled workers) asked the government to increase taxes on imported goods. They wanted to protect local businesses. This idea passed in one part of Congress but failed in another. This led to angry crowds and fights between artisans and merchants.
President Obando sided with the artisans. This made him lose support among the wealthy elite and even within his own political party. Rumors of a revolution or takeover began to spread. Many leaders, including Vice President Obaldía, warned Obando that his General Commander of the Army, José María Melo, might lead a rebellion. They urged Obando to remove Melo from the army. However, Obando believed these rumors were false and did not act.
On April 17, 1854, General Melo arrived at Obando's door. Melo told President Obando that he was launching a takeover. He invited Obando to suspend the government and become a dictator to solve the country's problems. Obando was shocked. He had fought against dictatorships before. He refused Melo's offer, saying he would only accept power given to him by the people. He quietly accepted his fate. Melo's takeover was successful and bloodless. Obando and most of his cabinet members were taken prisoner.
Later Life and Death
In 1860, Obando was asked to help stop a revolution in the Cauca Department. He died defending the federal system against those who wanted a strong central government. He was killed on April 29, 1861, with multiple spear wounds and a head injury. After he died, his upper lip was cut off. He was buried on May 1, 1861, in the Cemetery of Funza.
His remains were later moved several times. Finally, they were placed in the Pantheon of the Forefathers (Panteón de los Próceres) in Popayán, a place of honor for important historical figures.
See Also
In Spanish: José María Obando para niños
