José María Rojas Garrido

José María Rojas Garrido (June 7, 1824 – July 18, 1883) [1] was a Colombian Senator, and statesmen, who as the first Presidential Designate became Acting President of the United States of Colombia (now the Republic of Colombia) in 1866 during the absence of President elect Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera.[2] He was a prominent journalist for several Liberal Party newspapers, and is considered one of the most important orators in Colombia's history.[3]

José María Rojas Garrido
3rd President of the United States of Colombia
In office April 1, 1866 – May 22, 1866
Preceded by	Manuel Murillo Toro
Succeeded by	Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Magistrate of the Supreme Court
In office 1870–1883
In office 1865–1866
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office September 1, 1866 – May 22, 1867
President	Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Preceded by	Manuel Morro
Succeeded by	Carlos Martín
In office May 23, 1866 – July 2, 1866
President	Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Preceded by	Cerbeleon Pinzón
Succeeded by	Manuel Morro
In office December 1, 1862 – February 3, 1863
President	Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Preceded by	Manuel Ancízar
Succeeded by	José Hilario López
In office July 18, 1861 – November 22, 1861
President	Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Preceded by	Manuel María Mallarino
Succeeded by	Manuel Ancízar
Personal details
Born	Agrado, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Died	July 18, 1883 (aged 59) Bogotá, Cundinamarca, United States of Colombia
Nationality	Colombian
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Luisa de Francisco y Ponce
Alma mater	Colegio de San Bartolomé
Occupation	Lawyer, Judge, Journalist

Political career

José María Rojas Garrido had a wide and extensive political career, serving at the Local, Departmental and National levels, and in the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of the National Government.

Early political career

Rojas Garrido received his Doctorate in Jurisprudence in 1847 from the Colegio de San Bartolomé. In 1851 he was appointed Governor of the Province on Neiva by his close friend President José Hilario López.[4] In 1856 he was elected to the Chamber of Representatives for the State of Antioquia,[5] and shortly after was appointed Chargé d'affaires in Venezuela by President José María Obando.[6] Rojas Garrido had a very close relationship with General Mosquera, they were close friends, and Rojas Garrido was appointed four times to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs four times, during the various administrations of Mosquera.[7] In 1861 he served as Governor of the Province of Bogotá, and in 1862 served as Deputy in the Antioquia State Assembly,[8] and from 1862 to 1863 he regained the office of Secretary of Foreign Affairs,[7] having this time also control of the Ministry of War and Navy. In 1864 he returned to Venezuela this time as Minister Plenipotentiary and Special Commissioner. When he returned return to New Granada he was elected by Congress to the Supreme Court of Colombia.[4]

Presidency 1865

In 1866, former President General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera was elected once again to the Presidency. On February 17, 1866, Congress held elections for the Presidential Delegates for that calendar year and elected José María Rojas Garrido First Presidential Designate, and Santos Acosta, and Marcelino Gutierrez as the Second and Third Presidential Designates.[9] The Presidential Delegates were those who because of the abolishment of the office of Vice President were in line to succeed the President in his absence. The title did not carry an official office, but because General Mosquera was in Europe at the time, Rojas Garrido assumed the office of the Presidency on April 1, 1866, acting in the absence of the President Elect as the 3rd President of the United States of Colombia, until May 22, 1866[10][11] when General Mosquera returned to the country and was sworn in.

Post presidency

After ceding power, José María Rojas Garrido remained an active advisor to the President being appointed one last time as Secretary of Foreign Affairs.[7] He was later re-elected as Magistrate to the Supreme Court in 1870, and in 1872, Rojas Garrido ran an unsuccessful bid for the Presidency, losing the election to Manuel Murillo Toro.[12] José María Rojas Garrido remained in the Supreme Court until his death[13] on July 18, 1883 in Bogotá because of a pulmonary congestion.[14]

See also

• Julián Trujillo Largacha
• Bartolomé Calvo

References

1. Mendoza Vélez, Jorge (1957) [1952]. Gobernantes de Colombia(1810-1957); compendio de la Historia Patria, 1492-1957 (in Spanish) (3 ed.). Bogotá: Editorial Minerva. pp. 168–172. OCLC 542753. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
2. Rulers.org
3. Cruz Cardenas, Antonio. Grandes Oradores Colombianos (doc) (in Spanish). Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango. p. 1.
4. Moreno, Delimiro (1999). La toga contra la sotana (in Spanish). Neiva, Colombia. p. 44. OCLC 43366118. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
5. Flórez, Adolfo (1888). Estudio cronológico sobre los gobernantes del continente americano desde la más remota antigüedad hasta el presente año (in Spanish). Bogotá: F. Pontón. pp. 102–103. OCLC 15024921.
6. Rivas, Raimundo (1961). Historia diplomática de Colombia, 1810-1934 (in Spanish). Imprenta Nacional. p. 321. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
7. Cadena, Pedro Ignacio (1878). Anales diplomaticos de Colombia (PDF) (in Spanish). Bogotá: Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Impr. Manuel de J. Barrera. pp. XXXIII–XXXV. OCLC 4654242. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
8. "Historia" (in Spanish). Asamblea Departamental de Antioquia. 2005-02-24. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
9. Cárdenas Madrid, Marlon Rafael (October 1997). "Designados presidenciales de Colombia 1844 -1993". Credencial Historia (94). Bogotá: Luís Ángel Arango Library. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
10. Granados, Rafael M (1953). Historia de Colombia: Prehistoria, Conquista, Colonia, Independencia y República (in Spanish) (6th ed.). Medellín: Editorial Bedout. p. 440. OCLC 24207575.
11. "Rulers - Colombia". rulers.com. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
12. "José María Rojas Garrido". Encarta (in Spanish) (2008 ed.). Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
13. State Assembly of Panama (1883). "Leyes expedidas por la Asamblea lejislativa del estado soberano de Panama" (in Spanish). Panama City: El Cronista: 1–2. OCLC 236098965. Retrieved 2008-11-17. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
14. Vargas Motta, Gilberto (1987). Breviario del Huila y otros escritos (in Spanish). Ediciones Los Cámbulos. p. 207. OCLC 18442765. Retrieved 2008-11-20.