Calixto Garcia de Luna e Izquierdo
Encyclopedia
Calixto Garcia de Luna e Izquierdo was born in Soria
, Castilla
somewhere around 1768. He went to Valencia, Venezuela
where he was a merchant. There he married Maria de los Angeles Gonzalez, said to be the daughter of an Indigenous Chief (Hija de Cacique
). They had numerous children, both boys and girls.
Garcia de Luna fought on the Spanish
side in the Battle of Carabobo
, against Bolívar
and the English
(Irish?) battalion (Legion), in what is now Venezuela in 1821.
After the defeat, where he lost one arm, he went to Cuba
where his son Ramon Garcia Gonzalez was the father of the Ten Year War, the Guerra Chiquita and Second War of Independence hero General Calixto Garcia Iňiguez
. Some have speculated with reason, but without apparent evidence, that Ramon was his middle name which he could have written as was custom of the time as "C. Ramon Garcia de Luna e Izquierdo: and he was the Ramon Garcia who officered Spanish troops at Carabobo
. Another theory is that he was related to Spanish military leader Manuel Garcia de Luna.
Much mystery surrounds Calixto Garcia de Luna e Izquierdo. It is not understood why he left his wife and daughters in Venezuela and why he arrived in Cuba in 1831 about ten years after the Carabobo defeat. It is known by court documents that his son Ramon Garcia Gonzalez bitterly opposed his grandson's (Calixto Garcia Iñiguez) marriage to Isabel Velez Cabrera; perhaps because Isabel did not have personal fortune, and she was born in the Taino town of Jiguani.
Given Calixto Garcia de Luna's apparently newly learned independentist leanings which put him in jail, some have speculated he had become changed by the war. Given that both he and Narciso López
were neighbors in Valencia, Venezuela and both were originally members of the Spanish Armies who turned against Spanish rule, it is possible that he conspired with Narciso López in Lopez's failed attempt to throw the Spanish out of Cuba. However, for some unknown reason, Lopez decided to make his last landing in Western Cuba, rather than in the more mountainous eastern end of the Island where the Calixto Garcia de Luna had settled.
Soria
Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. , the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province...
, Castilla
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
somewhere around 1768. He went to Valencia, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
where he was a merchant. There he married Maria de los Angeles Gonzalez, said to be the daughter of an Indigenous Chief (Hija de Cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
). They had numerous children, both boys and girls.
Garcia de Luna fought on the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
side in the Battle of Carabobo
Battle of Carabobo
The Battle of Carabobo, 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Simón Bolívar, and the Royalist forces, led by Spanish Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led to the independence of Venezuela....
, against Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
and the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Irish?) battalion (Legion), in what is now Venezuela in 1821.
After the defeat, where he lost one arm, he went to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
where his son Ramon Garcia Gonzalez was the father of the Ten Year War, the Guerra Chiquita and Second War of Independence hero General Calixto Garcia Iňiguez
Calixto García
Calixto García e Iñiguez was a general in three Cuban uprisings, part of the Cuban War for Independence: Ten Years' War, the Little War and the War of 1895, itself sometimes called the Cuban War for Independence, which bled into the Spanish-American War, ultimately resulting in national...
. Some have speculated with reason, but without apparent evidence, that Ramon was his middle name which he could have written as was custom of the time as "C. Ramon Garcia de Luna e Izquierdo: and he was the Ramon Garcia who officered Spanish troops at Carabobo
Carabobo
Carabobo State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, located in the north of the country, about two hours by car from Caracas. The capital city of this state is Valencia, which is also the country's main industrial center. The state's area is 4,650 km² and had an estimated population of...
. Another theory is that he was related to Spanish military leader Manuel Garcia de Luna.
Much mystery surrounds Calixto Garcia de Luna e Izquierdo. It is not understood why he left his wife and daughters in Venezuela and why he arrived in Cuba in 1831 about ten years after the Carabobo defeat. It is known by court documents that his son Ramon Garcia Gonzalez bitterly opposed his grandson's (Calixto Garcia Iñiguez) marriage to Isabel Velez Cabrera; perhaps because Isabel did not have personal fortune, and she was born in the Taino town of Jiguani.
Given Calixto Garcia de Luna's apparently newly learned independentist leanings which put him in jail, some have speculated he had become changed by the war. Given that both he and Narciso López
Narciso López
Narciso López was a Venezuelan adventurer and soldier, best known for an expedition aimed at liberating Cuba from Spain in the 1850s..- Life in Venezuela, Cuba, and Spain:...
were neighbors in Valencia, Venezuela and both were originally members of the Spanish Armies who turned against Spanish rule, it is possible that he conspired with Narciso López in Lopez's failed attempt to throw the Spanish out of Cuba. However, for some unknown reason, Lopez decided to make his last landing in Western Cuba, rather than in the more mountainous eastern end of the Island where the Calixto Garcia de Luna had settled.