Domingo Caycedo
Encyclopedia
Domingo de Caycedo y Sanz de Santamaría (1783 – 1843) was a Colombia
n statesman
who served as Vice-president
of Gran Colombia
and the Republic of New Granada
, and due to the absence of the presidents, he himself served as President a total of eleven times, making him the person to have served more times as President of Colombia
. He is also credited for creating the Republic of New Granada
after the division of Venezuela
and Ecuador
.
, near Bogotá, on July 1, 1843.
He traveled to Spain, where we joined the army to fight against Napoleon. He also worked as secretary in the Spanish Cortes (Congress).
, the future “Libertador” and first president of Colombia, and he enlists in the Colombian revolutionary army. He became a member of the Advisory Council to General Antonio Nariño
..
He fought in the battles of “la Cuchilla del Tambo” y “la Plata”, where he is arrested by the Spanish troops. He is court martial as prisoner of war, found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Thanks to the influence of his father-in-law, his wife Juana Jurado y Bertendona and some monetary payments to the Spanish authorities, his life is speared. He is freed under probation and he vanishes from the war theatre until the revolutionary triumph at the Battle of Boyacá
(Puente de Boyacá
) on August 7, 1819.
. In 1827 he is appointed as Governor of Neiva, elected to Congress and ascended to General of the Army. He becomes part of the inner circle of Bolívar, whom in 1829, appoints him, first, as Secretary of the Interior and a year later as Secretary of State. Afterwards, Caycedo is appointed as president of the “Consejo de Estado” (the precursor of the Supreme Court) to replace the retiring José María Castillo y Rada, whom decided to become member of Congress of the Gran Colombia
..
Later that same year, when Simón Bolívar
, the Founding Father, irrevocably resigns to the presidency, Congress elects don Joaquín de Mosquera as president and Caycedo as vice-president. Because Mosquera was very ill and frail, Caycedo assumed the executive power as acting president on August 2, 1830.
Caycedo is deposed, by the first coup d’état in the country, by the Venezuelan General Rafael Urdaneta
on September 5, 1830. Months later, supported by the regrouped constitutional army, Caycedo proclaims to be the legitimate president on April 11, 1831. He contacts General Urdaneta and invites him to a summit to discuss the future of the nation’s government. Urdaneta accepts, and on April 28, 1831, they meet at Junats de Apulo, near the town of Tocaima. They both reach an agreement and sign the Accord of Apulo, by which General Urdaneta recognizes Caycedo as acting president. Thus, Caycedo, once again, takes office on May 3, 1831.
Caycedo, as acting president, convenes Congress. On November 15, 1831, Congress elects General Francisco de Paula Santander
as president and General José María Obando
as vice-president.
A few years later he is elected to Congress, appointed Secretary of the Treasury and once again, six more times, Caycedo act as interim president every time that president José Ignacio de Márquez
needs be absent from office for short periods of time.
Finally, between 1841 and 1845, during the presidency of Pedro Alcántara Herrán
, Caycedo once again, acts twice as interim president during temporary absences by the president. As such, General Caycedo became the Colombian to have acted as president the most times, eleven in total.
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...
n statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
who served as Vice-president
Vice President of Colombia
The Vice President of Colombia is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of Colombia upon leaves of absence or death, resignation, or removal of the President, as designated by the Colombian Constitution of 1991 which also reinstated the vice president figure...
of Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...
and the Republic of New Granada
Republic of New Granada
The Republic of New Granada was a centralist republic consisting primarily of present-day Colombia and Panama with smaller portions of today's Ecuador, and Venezuela. It was created after the dissolution in 1830 of Gran Colombia. It was later abolished in 1858 when the Granadine Confederation was...
, and due to the absence of the presidents, he himself served as President a total of eleven times, making him the person to have served more times as President of Colombia
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
. He is also credited for creating the Republic of New Granada
Republic of New Granada
The Republic of New Granada was a centralist republic consisting primarily of present-day Colombia and Panama with smaller portions of today's Ecuador, and Venezuela. It was created after the dissolution in 1830 of Gran Colombia. It was later abolished in 1858 when the Granadine Confederation was...
after the division of 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...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
Biographic data
Caycedo was born in Santa Fe de Bogotá on August 4, 1783 and died in Puente ArandaPuente Aranda
Puente Aranda is the 16th location of the Capital District of the Colombian capital city, Bogotá. It is located in the midwest within the city and was named after an old bridge in the hacienda of Juan Aranda over the "Chinúa River" now called the San Francisco Creek that dates from the 16th...
, near Bogotá, on July 1, 1843.
Early life
Caycedo studied Law in the "Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario" (nowadays known as Universidad del Rosario) in Bogotá, where he later became its vice-rector (deputy Headmaster). At an early age, he decided to not to practice law, but rather became more interested in military and political activities. He later became a General of de Army and President of the country.He traveled to Spain, where we joined the army to fight against Napoleon. He also worked as secretary in the Spanish Cortes (Congress).
Military career
Upon realizing the events of July 20, 1810, in his motherland, Caycedo returns to America with Vicente Bolívar, brother of Simón BolívarSimón 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...
, the future “Libertador” and first president of Colombia, and he enlists in the Colombian revolutionary army. He became a member of the Advisory Council to General Antonio Nariño
Antonio Nariño
Antonio de la Santísima Concepción Nariño y Álvarez was an ideological Colombian precursor and one of the early political and military leaders of the independence movement in the New Granada - Early political activity :Nariño was born to an aristocratic family...
..
He fought in the battles of “la Cuchilla del Tambo” y “la Plata”, where he is arrested by the Spanish troops. He is court martial as prisoner of war, found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Thanks to the influence of his father-in-law, his wife Juana Jurado y Bertendona and some monetary payments to the Spanish authorities, his life is speared. He is freed under probation and he vanishes from the war theatre until the revolutionary triumph at the Battle of Boyacá
Battle of Boyacá
The Battle of Boyacá in Colombia, then known as New Granada, was the battle in which Colombia acquired its definitive independence from Spanish Monarchy, although fighting with royalist forces would continue for years....
(Puente de Boyacá
Puente de Boyacà
Puente de Boyacá is a small bridge located at the Bogota-Tunja highway, 110 km east of Bogotá and 14 km west from Tunja in a valley, crossing Teatinos river...
) on August 7, 1819.
Political career
Once again, after the revolutionary triumph of August 7, 1819, Caycedo returns to public life under the protection of Simón BolívarSimón 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...
. In 1827 he is appointed as Governor of Neiva, elected to Congress and ascended to General of the Army. He becomes part of the inner circle of Bolívar, whom in 1829, appoints him, first, as Secretary of the Interior and a year later as Secretary of State. Afterwards, Caycedo is appointed as president of the “Consejo de Estado” (the precursor of the Supreme Court) to replace the retiring José María Castillo y Rada, whom decided to become member of Congress of the Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...
..
The Presidency
On April 1, 1830, when President Bolívar had to take a leave of absence from Bogotá to the Hacienda of Fucha, seeking to recover from an illness, Caycedo assumes the Office of Interim President. This would be the first of several occasions to act as President in this capacity.Later that same year, when Simón 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...
, the Founding Father, irrevocably resigns to the presidency, Congress elects don Joaquín de Mosquera as president and Caycedo as vice-president. Because Mosquera was very ill and frail, Caycedo assumed the executive power as acting president on August 2, 1830.
Caycedo is deposed, by the first coup d’état in the country, by the Venezuelan General Rafael Urdaneta
Rafael Urdaneta
Rafael José Urdaneta y Faría was a Venezuelan General and hero of the Spanish American wars of independence in several countries in northern South America.- Biographic data :...
on September 5, 1830. Months later, supported by the regrouped constitutional army, Caycedo proclaims to be the legitimate president on April 11, 1831. He contacts General Urdaneta and invites him to a summit to discuss the future of the nation’s government. Urdaneta accepts, and on April 28, 1831, they meet at Junats de Apulo, near the town of Tocaima. They both reach an agreement and sign the Accord of Apulo, by which General Urdaneta recognizes Caycedo as acting president. Thus, Caycedo, once again, takes office on May 3, 1831.
Caycedo, as acting president, convenes Congress. On November 15, 1831, Congress elects General Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña , was a Colombian military and political leader during the 1810–1819 independence war of the United Provinces of New Granada...
as president and General José María Obando
José María Obando
José María Ramón Obando del Campo was a Neogranadine General and politician who twice served as President of Colombia...
as vice-president.
A few years later he is elected to Congress, appointed Secretary of the Treasury and once again, six more times, Caycedo act as interim president every time that president José Ignacio de Márquez
José Ignacio de Márquez
José Ignacio de Márquez Barreto was a Colombian statesman, lawyer and professor, who served as Vice President of Colombia under the presidency of Francisco de Paula Santander, and subsequently was elected President of the Republic of the New Granada for the presidential term of 1837 to 1841.- ...
needs be absent from office for short periods of time.
Finally, between 1841 and 1845, during the presidency of Pedro Alcántara Herrán
Pedro Alcántara Herrán
Pedro Alcántara Herrán Martínez de Zaldúa was a Colombian general and statesman who served as President of the Republic of the New Granada between 1841 and 1845. As a general he served in the wars of independence of the New Granada and of Peru....
, Caycedo once again, acts twice as interim president during temporary absences by the president. As such, General Caycedo became the Colombian to have acted as president the most times, eleven in total.