Miguel Abadía Méndez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel Abadía Méndez
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| 12th President of Colombia | |
| In office 7 August 1926 – 7 August 1930 |
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| Preceded by | Pedro Nel Ospina |
| Succeeded by | Enrique Olaya Herrera |
| Colombian Minister of Government | |
| In office 2 January 1924 – 8 June 1925 |
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| President | Pedro Nel Ospina |
| Preceded by | José Ulises Osorio |
| Succeeded by | Ramón Rodríguez Diago |
| In office 6 December 1920 – 7 March 1921 |
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| President | Marco Fidel Suárez |
| Preceded by | Luis Cuervo Márquez |
| Succeeded by | Luis Cuervo Márquez |
| In office 15 September 1914 – 7 August 1918 |
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| President | José Vicente Concha |
| Preceded by | Clodomiro Ramírez |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Antonio Molina |
| In office 11 December 1909 – 7 August 1910 |
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| President | Ramón González Valencia |
| Preceded by | Alejandro Botero Uribe |
| Succeeded by | Luis Felipe Campo |
| Colombian Minister of Public Instruction | |
| In office 3 May 1919 – 19 September 1921 |
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| President | Marco Fidel Suárez |
| Preceded by | José Francisco Insignares |
| Succeeded by | Eduardo Restrepo Sáenz |
| In office 31 July 1900 – 11 July 1901 |
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| President | José Manuel Marroquín |
| Preceded by | Marco Fidel Suárez |
| Succeeded by | Facundo Mutis Durán |
| Colombian Minister of Finance | |
| In office 11 July 1901 – 30 January 1902 |
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| President | José Manuel Marroquín |
| Preceded by | Pedro Antonio Molina |
| Succeeded by | Jose Ramón Lago |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Miguel Abadía Méndez
5 July 1867 Coello, Tolima, U.S. Colombia |
| Died | 9 May 1947 (aged 79) Fomeque, Cundinamarca, Colombia |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouses | Felisa Santamaría Restrepo (-1921) Leonor de Velasco Álvarez (1926-) |
| Alma mater | Our Lady of the Rosary University (LLD) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Miguel Abadía Méndez was the 12th President of Colombia. He served from 1926 to 1930. He was a member of the Conservative Party. Abadía was the last president during a time when the Conservative Party ruled Colombia for a long period. He was elected without anyone running against him. He formed a government made up of only one political party.
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Miguel Abadía Méndez: Early Political Life
As a young lawyer, Miguel Abadía Méndez was a professor. He also served as a member of Parliament. President Pedro Nel Ospina chose him to be the Minister of Education. He also served as the Minister of Government.
In 1926, Abadía ran for president. He was the only candidate from the Conservative Party. The Colombian Liberal Party did not take part in this election. So, Abadía became president for the 1926–1930 term. His presidency marked the end of a 20-year period of Conservative rule in Colombia.
Abadía's Presidency: 1926-1930
As president, Miguel Abadía Méndez faced a tough economic time. The world was going through a period called the Great Depression. This caused many financial problems.
Economic Challenges and Solutions
President Abadía had to use a law from 1922. This law allowed the government to borrow money from other countries. His government borrowed a very large amount of money from the United States. This money was mainly used to build new roads, railways, and seaports. These projects helped create many jobs. This helped reduce the high number of people who were out of work.
Social Unrest and Worker Strikes
The difficult economy led to many social problems. People were unhappy and there were protests across the country. In 1928, workers started forming labor unions. There were two big strikes. One was in the banana-growing area of Magdalena. Workers were protesting against the United Fruit Company. The other strike was in Santander against the Tropical Oil Company.
By 1929, protests had reached Bogotá. University students organized street demonstrations. President Abadía declared Martial Law to keep order.
The Banana Massacre
In 1929, farmers in Ciénaga went on strike. They were protesting very bad working conditions. They asked for a minimum wage and mandatory insurance. They also wanted to stop being paid with company coupons instead of real money. President Abadía sent the Colombian Army to the area. The soldiers shot at the striking workers. This event is known as the Banana Massacre. Many people were killed. This event made many Colombians very angry. It led to the rise of new political groups.
Foreign Policy During Abadía's Term
During his time as president, Abadía worked to solve old border disputes. These were disagreements with neighboring countries in Latin America.
Resolving Border Disputes
- Nicaragua: On March 24, 1928, Colombia and Nicaragua signed the Esguerra-Bárcenas Treaty. In this treaty, Nicaragua agreed that Colombia owned the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. Colombia, in return, gave up its claims over the Mosquito Coast.
- Peru: On March 19, 1928, the Salomón–Lozano Treaty was approved. This treaty had been signed earlier in 1924. It clearly marked the border between Colombia and Peru. This helped stop military actions between the two countries along their border.
- Brazil: The last important border treaty was signed on November 15, 1928. This was the Mangabeira-García Ortiz Treaty with Brazil. This treaty settled the border between Brazil and Colombia. It also helped prevent other countries from trying to gain access to Brazil through Colombian territory.
Dealing with Foreign Companies
President Abadía also had to deal with growing unhappiness among fruit workers. These workers were in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. He also faced the economic and political interests of the United States in the area.
In November 1928, workers of the United Fruit Company in the Magdalena Department went on strike. They were protesting unfair work practices. The United States threatened to send its military to end the strike. The Colombian government sent its own military to stop the protests. This led to the Banana massacre. Many people were killed by the Colombian Army. This event was written about by Gabriel García Márquez in his famous novel One Hundred Years of Solitude.
This event caused the United Fruit Company to lose much of its influence. It also made many people in the Caribbean Region unhappy with the United States. A Liberal politician named Jorge Eliécer Gaitán started a big campaign. He wanted to investigate what the Abadía government did during this event. His popularity grew, and this helped lead to the decline of the Conservative Party.
Personal Life
Miguel Abadía Méndez was born on July 5, 1867. He was born at his family's estate in Coello, Tolima. This area was then part of the United States of Colombia. He passed away on May 9, 1947, in La Union, Cundinamarca.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Abadía Méndez para niños
