Ramón González Valencia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ramón González Valencia
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| 6th President of Colombia | |
| In office August 4, 1909 – August 7, 1910 |
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| Preceded by | Rafael Reyes |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Eugenio Restrepo |
| 4th Vice President of Colombia | |
| In office August 7, 1904 – March 10, 1905 |
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| President | Rafael Reyes |
| Preceded by | José Manuel Marroquín |
| Succeeded by | Humberto De la Calle |
| Minister of War | |
| In office March 28, 1901 – July 11, 1901 |
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| President | José Manuel Marroquín |
| Preceded by | José Domingo Ospina |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Nel Ospina |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 24, 1851 Chitagá, Pamplona, Republic of New Granada |
| Died | October 3, 1928 (aged 77) Pamplona, North Santander, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Antonia Ferrero Atalaya |
| Children | 7 |
| Alma mater | Our Lady of the Rosary University |
| Occupation | Farmer (Livestock), Soldier (General), Statesman |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Colombia (Conservative party) |
| Branch/service | Army |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | Colombian Civil War of 1876 Colombian Civil War of 1895 Thousand Days War |
Ramón González Valencia (born May 24, 1851 – died October 3, 1928) was an important leader in Colombia. He was a Colombian soldier and a statesman. He belonged to the Colombian Conservative Party.
Ramón González Valencia took part in several civil wars. These included the Colombian Civil War of 1876, the Colombian Civil War of 1895, and the Thousand Days War. He later served as the Vice President of Colombia and then as the President of Colombia.
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A Brave Soldier and Leader
Ramón González Valencia was born in Chitagá, Norte de Santander Department. This was on May 24, 1851. He grew up working on a farm, raising crops and cattle.
Even though he was a farmer, he joined the military. He fought in the civil wars happening in Colombia. His military journey began in 1876. This was during a conservative uprising against President Aquileo Parra.
Later, in 1895, he joined the army again. This was to fight for his conservative beliefs. He did the same during the civil war known as “the Thousand Days”. People respected him for his bravery and kindness. He rose through the ranks to become a General in the Army.
González Valencia also held other important jobs. He was the Military Governor of Santander Department. He also served as the Minister of War in 1901. This was during the time President José Manuel Marroquín was in charge.
Becoming Vice President
In 1904, the Colombian Conservative Party chose Ramón González Valencia. They wanted him to be the running mate for Rafael Reyes. This meant he would be the Vice President if Reyes won. The Colombian Liberal Party did not take part in this election. So, Reyes and González Valencia easily won.
However, soon after they won, they started to disagree. González Valencia was a strong conservative. Reyes was more moderate, meaning he was open to different ideas.
President Reyes was worried about González Valencia. He knew that the Vice President, José Manuel Marroquín, had removed President Manuel Antonio Sanclemente from office in 1900. Reyes was also talking with the liberals. This made many conservatives suspicious. General González Valencia was popular with both the army and the conservative party. This made General Reyes feel uncomfortable.
So, General Reyes decided to remove González Valencia from his position. He asked two friends to talk to González Valencia. These friends were Monsignor Francisco Ragonessi and Don Luis Martínez Silva. They were asked to tell General González that Reyes wanted him to resign.
Why He Resigned
Monsignor Francisco Ragonessi and Martínez Silva contacted General González Valencia. He was in Cúcuta at the time. They told him that General Reyes wanted him to "voluntarily" resign. They all agreed to meet in Duitama. This town was halfway between Bogotá and Cúcuta.
On March 9, 1905, they met as planned. General González Valencia then gave his resignation. He wrote a letter to the country, not to General Reyes. He said he was resigning “in the best interest of the country”. He also mentioned “incompatibilities between the President and the Vice-President”. It was clear his resignation was not truly voluntary.
After this, General Reyes's popularity went down. He resigned as President. He handed over the office to Jorge Holguín. As Reyes was leaving the country, he met González Valencia. Reyes asked him to become Vice President again. González Valencia said no.
Becoming President of Colombia
After General Reyes left the country, Congress met on July 20, 1909. They elected General González Valencia as the new President of Colombia. He officially became President on August 3, 1909. He served until August 6, 1910.
González Valencia had served as Vice President under Rafael Reyes. Reyes had removed him and even ended the office of Vice Presidency. The role of Vice President was not brought back until the Colombian Constitution of 1991.
See also
In Spanish: Ramón González Valencia para niños
