Carlos Salazar Castro
Encyclopedia
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
He was born in 1800 in El Salvador to Gregorio Salazar
José Gregorio Salazar
José Gregorio Salazar was a general and a Liberal politician in Central America. He was acting president of the Federal Republic of Central America from September 16, 1834 to February 14, 1835, in between two administrations of Francisco Morazán...
and Francisca Castro y Lara. His father was interim president of the Federal Republic of Central America
Federal Republic of Central America
The Federal Republic of Central America, known as the United Provinces of Central America in its first year of creation, was a sovereign state in Central America, which consisted of the territories of the former Captaincy General of Guatemala of New Spain...
from September 16, 1834 to February 14, 1835.
Salazar was sent at age 12 to Guatemala to study humanities at the Colegio Tridentino. He graduated from secondary school in 1817 and returned to El Salvador, where he dedicated himself to commerce and to tending the estates of his family. He also joined the independence movement. He was a deputy to the local congress in 1822.
He fought alongside Liberal General Francisco Morazán
Francisco Morazán
General Francisco Morazán was a Honduran general and a politician who ruled several Central American states at different times during the turbulent period from 1827 to 1842. He rose to prominence at the legendary Battle of La Trinidad on November 11, 1827...
in the Central American civil wars, becoming his lieutenant in 1832, in the deposition of the Salvadoran head of state, José María Cornejo
José María Cornejo
José María Cornejo Merino y Guevara was a Salvadoran politician. Two times he served as chief of state of El Salvador ....
. From June 23, 1834 to July 13, 1834 Salazar served as provisional head of state of El Salvador. On the latter date, the federal government took over direct control of the state, and Salazar's father, Gregorio Salazar, became acting chief of state.
General Salazar (the son) again fought at the side of his friend and ally General Morazán in 1837, against the movement known as "The Moderates" (Los Moderados). He was decorated for his performance in this campaign. In 1839 he was the hero of the Battle of Villa Nueva (near Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
), where Morazán's Liberals defeated the Conservatives under Rafael Carrera
Rafael Carrera
José Rafael Carrera Turcios was the ruler of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865. During his military career and presidency, the new nations in Central America faced numerous problems...
and forced a (temporary) treaty of peace with him.
He was secretary of the interior of the State of Guatemala in 1839 when the Liberals named him provisional president of the state to replace Mariano Rivera Paz. Salazar served in this capacity from January 30, 1839 to April 13, 1839, when Rivera returned to office. Carrera soon renewed the civil war.
With the fall of General Morazán's federal regime in 1840, Salazar accompanied him to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
on Morazán's way into exile. Salazar stayed in Costa Rica when Morazán went to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and retired from politics. He opened a business in San José, and lived there until his death on July 23, 1867. In El Salvador he has been designated Benemérito de la Patria. El Salvador repatriated his remains, which are now buried in a cemetery in San Salvador.