Francisco Montalvo y Ambulodi
Encyclopedia
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
—1822, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
) was a Spanish soldier, colonial administrator and politician. From May 30, 1813 to April 16, 1816 he was governor and captain-general of New Granada (Colombia, Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador), and from April 16, 1816 to March 9, 1818 he was viceroy of the colony. During his terms of office, New Granada was in open revolt against Spain.
Early life
Montalvo was a CriolloCriollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
(a Spaniard born in America). He entered the army in Spain in his youth, served in South America and Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, and was promoted rapidly. In 1795 he was promoted to brigadier. He was a knight of the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
.
As governor and viceroy of New Granada
On May 30, 1813 Montalvo took office as governor (jefe político superior) and captain general of New Granada and president of the Audiencia, replacing Benito Pérez BritoBenito Pérez Brito
Benito Pérez Brito de los Ríos y Fernández Valdelomar was a Spanish military officer and colonial official. From March 21, 1812 to November 1812, he was viceroy of New Granada.-Background:...
. His headquarters were at Santa Marta
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
, since the capital was in the hands of the rebels. He arrived in the Spanish brig El Borja. Since the viceregal office had been abolished by the Spanish Constitution of 1812
Spanish Constitution of 1812
The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was promulgated 19 March 1812 by the Cádiz Cortes, the national legislative assembly of Spain, while in refuge from the Peninsular War...
, he did not formally have the title of viceroy until 1816, when Ferdinand VII had abolished the Constitution. He was the highest-ranking Spanish colonial administrator in the colony. In 1815 he was promoted to lieutenant general.
He offered the city of Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
an alliance against 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...
, but this was rejected. On February 15, 1816 he reconquered the city for the Spanish. The following February 24, on his orders, 44 patriots of Cartagena were executed. On April 9, 1816 he announced an amnesty. According to his account the Spaniards executed 7,000 patriots in the viceroyalty during the reconquest. On April 16, 1816 he was promoted to viceroy.
Later career
He was succeeded as viceroy in 1818 by Juan José de Sámano y UribarriJuan José de Sámano y Uribarri
Juan José Francisco de Sámano y Uribarri de Rebollar y Mazorra , was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Granada from 1818 to 1819, during the war of independence.-Military career:...
and returned to Spain. There he was a councilor of state until his death.