Joaquín Camacho
Encyclopedia
José Joaquín Justo Camacho Lago (July 17, 1766 – August 31, 1816) was a Neogranadine statesman, lawyer, journalist and professor, who worked for the Independence of the New Granada
, what is now Colombia
, and participated in the Open Cabildo which declared the Act of Independence, of which he was also a signer. He was executed during the Reign of Terror of Pablo Morillo
after the Spanish invasion of New Granada
.
, which was part of the Viceroyalty of the New Granada, now Colombia
. His parents were Francisco Camacho y Solórzano and Rosa Rodríguez de Lago y Castillo. He attended Our Lady of the Rosary University
where he studied Jurisprudence
. He was admitted as a lawyer
by the Royal Audiency of Santafé de Bogotá in the year 1792. He became one of the most important lawyers of the viceroyalty and winning the admiration of his colleagues.
On June 13, 1793, Camacho married Marcelina Rodríguez de Lago y Castillo, a member of the prominent Sanz de Santamaría family on her mother’s side. Together they had three children.
; this remarkable work won the competition. The competition was a response to the situation of Bogotá, which at the time was having a small epidemic of goiter.
Camacho wrote for the Seminario del Nuevo Reino de Granada, a newsletter edited by Francisco José de Caldas
, its most important contribution was in 1809, Relación territorial de la provincia de Pamplona en el Nuevo Reino de Granada, an extensive account of the Province of Pamplona
at the end of the Colonial Period. In it is described its main cities, the fauna and flora of the region, the provincial limits and borders, and other geographical and botanical information about Pamplona.
Camacho started venturing more into journalism
in 1810, when he co-edited the newspaper Diario Político, with Francisco José de Caldas
. The Diario Politico first came out on August 27, 1810, and contained political articles related with the events of July 20 then on. It ran three editions per week till February 1811.
, José Acevedo Gómez, José Miguel Pey and Jorge Tadeo Lozano
, among others - held a secret meeting in the Astronomic Observatory of Bogotá, the office of Francisco José de Caldas
. They had been informed of a plan by the Spaniards to arrest prominent criollos who had ideas of independence; the precursors were determined to win their independence and they, that night, planned the revolution. They were also convinced that the upcoming visit of the Regency Commissioners, Antonio Villavicencio
and Carlos Montúfar, would bring the same results it had in Cartagena de Indias. Camilo Torres proposed that the first strike had to come from the Spaniards, to incite the people for an uprising and to prevent their supporters from doing something about it. Camacho would go to the house of the viceroy and ask him to allow a Junta to take place: they knew that he was going to oppose this, but would use it as the Spaniards' way of undermining the American people. Meanwhile, Luis de Rubio and Antonio Morales would go to the house of José Gonzales Llorente and start a mob uprising with the excuse of borrowing a flower vase, something they knew he would refuse giving Llorente's reputation.
The next day, Friday July 20, 1810, everything went according to their plan, and by night they had assembled an Open Cabildo. Don Camacho was part of this Cabildo, which wrote the first Declaration of Independence of Colombia, the Acta del Cabildo Extraordinario de Santa Fe, which declared the Viceroyalty of New Granada independent. Camacho was one its signers.
, a three member executive body. Congress nominated Custodio García Rovira
, Manuel Rodríguez Torices
and José Manuel Restrepo
for the triumvirate, but they were all unable to assume the presidency, so Congress replaced them with José María del Castillo y Rada
, José Fernández Madrid
, and Camacho. Camacho exercised the executive power till January 2, 1815.
and the War Council on August 31, 1816 and was executed by a firing squad on the same day, at the age of fifty. He was sick, blind
and paralyzed and had to be carried in his wheelchair
up the platform designated for his execution.
in 1819. His wife asked the Libertador to grant her a pension
for her husband's sacrifice to the Nation. Bolívar personally asked congress for this and in 1820 a pension was given to her in his name. His daughter, Indalecia Camacho, who was also blind, received a pension from Congress on May 26, 1869. His niece, Juana Martínez Camacho, married Antonio Ricaurte
.
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...
, what is now 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 participated in the Open Cabildo which declared the Act of Independence, of which he was also a signer. He was executed during the Reign of Terror of Pablo Morillo
Pablo Morillo
Pablo Morillo y Morillo, Count of Cartagena and Marquess of La Puerta, aka El Pacificador was a Spanish general....
after the Spanish invasion of New Granada
Spanish Invasion of New Granada
The Spanish Invasion of New Granada in 1815–1816 was part of the Spanish American wars of independence in South America. Shortly after the Napoleonic Wars ended, Ferdinand VII, recently restored to the throne in Spain, decided to send military forces to retake most of northern South American...
.
Early life
Camacho was born on July 17, 1766, in TunjaTunja
Tunja is a city and municipality located in the central part of Colombia, in the region of "Alto Chicomocha". As of the 2005 Census it had 152,419 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Department of Boyacá and part of the subregion of the Central Boyacá Province. It is approximately 145 km...
, which was part of the Viceroyalty of the New Granada, now 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...
. His parents were Francisco Camacho y Solórzano and Rosa Rodríguez de Lago y Castillo. He attended Our Lady of the Rosary University
Our Lady of the Rosary University
The Universidad del Rosario is a university originally founded on Roman Catholic principles, in 1653 by Fray Cristobal de Torres. Located in Bogotá, Colombia, due to its important place in Colombian history, it is known as "The Cradle of the Republic". It had also a primary and secundary school...
where he studied Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
. He was admitted as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
by the Royal Audiency of Santafé de Bogotá in the year 1792. He became one of the most important lawyers of the viceroyalty and winning the admiration of his colleagues.
On June 13, 1793, Camacho married Marcelina Rodríguez de Lago y Castillo, a member of the prominent Sanz de Santamaría family on her mother’s side. Together they had three children.
Writing and journalism
Responding to a prize competition in 1808 by philanthropist Nicolás Manuel Tanco, Camacho wrote Memoria sobre la causa y curación de los cotos, an account on the cause and treatment for goitreGoitre
A goitre or goiter , is a swelling in the thyroid gland, which can lead to a swelling of the neck or larynx...
; this remarkable work won the competition. The competition was a response to the situation of Bogotá, which at the time was having a small epidemic of goiter.
Camacho wrote for the Seminario del Nuevo Reino de Granada, a newsletter edited by Francisco José de Caldas
Francisco José de Caldas
Francisco José de Caldas was a Colombian lawyer, naturalist, and geographer who died a martyr by orders of Pablo Morillo during the Reconquista for being a precursor of the Independence of New Granada ....
, its most important contribution was in 1809, Relación territorial de la provincia de Pamplona en el Nuevo Reino de Granada, an extensive account of the Province of Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
at the end of the Colonial Period. In it is described its main cities, the fauna and flora of the region, the provincial limits and borders, and other geographical and botanical information about Pamplona.
Camacho started venturing more into journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
in 1810, when he co-edited the newspaper Diario Político, with Francisco José de Caldas
Francisco José de Caldas
Francisco José de Caldas was a Colombian lawyer, naturalist, and geographer who died a martyr by orders of Pablo Morillo during the Reconquista for being a precursor of the Independence of New Granada ....
. The Diario Politico first came out on August 27, 1810, and contained political articles related with the events of July 20 then on. It ran three editions per week till February 1811.
July 20, 1810
On July 19, 1810, the precursors of the independence - Camilo Torres TenorioCamilo Torres Tenorio
Camilo Torres Tenorio was a Colombian politician. He is credited as being an early founder of the nation due to his role in early struggles for independence from Spain.-Biography:...
, José Acevedo Gómez, José Miguel Pey and Jorge Tadeo Lozano
Jorge Tadeo Lozano
Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Viscount of Pastrana was a Neogranadine scientist, journalist, and politician who presided over the Constituent College of Cundinamarca and was elected President of Cundinamarca in 1811....
, among others - held a secret meeting in the Astronomic Observatory of Bogotá, the office of Francisco José de Caldas
Francisco José de Caldas
Francisco José de Caldas was a Colombian lawyer, naturalist, and geographer who died a martyr by orders of Pablo Morillo during the Reconquista for being a precursor of the Independence of New Granada ....
. They had been informed of a plan by the Spaniards to arrest prominent criollos who had ideas of independence; the precursors were determined to win their independence and they, that night, planned the revolution. They were also convinced that the upcoming visit of the Regency Commissioners, Antonio Villavicencio
Antonio Villavicencio
Antonio Villavicencio y Verástegui was a Neogranadine Lieutenant statesman and soldier, born in Quito, and educated in Spain. He served in the Battle of Trafalgar as an office in the Spanish Navy...
and Carlos Montúfar, would bring the same results it had in Cartagena de Indias. Camilo Torres proposed that the first strike had to come from the Spaniards, to incite the people for an uprising and to prevent their supporters from doing something about it. Camacho would go to the house of the viceroy and ask him to allow a Junta to take place: they knew that he was going to oppose this, but would use it as the Spaniards' way of undermining the American people. Meanwhile, Luis de Rubio and Antonio Morales would go to the house of José Gonzales Llorente and start a mob uprising with the excuse of borrowing a flower vase, something they knew he would refuse giving Llorente's reputation.
The next day, Friday July 20, 1810, everything went according to their plan, and by night they had assembled an Open Cabildo. Don Camacho was part of this Cabildo, which wrote the first Declaration of Independence of Colombia, the Acta del Cabildo Extraordinario de Santa Fe, which declared the Viceroyalty of New Granada independent. Camacho was one its signers.
Deputy of Congress
Camacho also participated in the Congress of the United Provinces of the New Granada, which was convened in Villa de Leiva, as a Deputy Representative for the Province of Tunja.Triumvirate
On October 5, 1814, the Congress of the United Provinces changed the Presidency of the United Provinces and replaced it with a TriumvirateTriumvirate
A triumvirate is a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals, each a triumvir . The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case...
, a three member executive body. Congress nominated Custodio García Rovira
Custodio García Rovira
José Custodio Cayetano García Rovira was a Neogranadine general, statesman and painter, who fought for the independence of New Granada from Spain, and became President of the United Provinces of the New Granada in 1816...
, Manuel Rodríguez Torices
Manuel Rodríguez Torices
Manuel Rodríguez Torices was a Neogranadine statesman, lawyer, journalist, and Precursor of the Independence of Colombia...
and José Manuel Restrepo
José Manuel Restrepo
José Manuel Restrepo Veléz was an investigator of Colombian flora, political figure and historian. The Orchid genus Restrepia was named in his honor....
for the triumvirate, but they were all unable to assume the presidency, so Congress replaced them with José María del Castillo y Rada
José María del Castillo y Rada
José María del Castillo y Rada was a neo-granadine politician, President of the United Provinces of the New Granada from October 5, 1814 until January 21, 1815. Castillo y Rada also served as Vice President of the Republic of Colombia from June 6, 1821 until October 3, 1821....
, José Fernández Madrid
José Fernández Madrid
José Luis Álvaro Alvino Fernández Madrid was a Neogranadine statesman, physician, scientist and writer, who was President of the interim triumvirate of the United Provinces of New Granada in 1814, and President of the United Provinces of the New Granada in 1816...
, and Camacho. Camacho exercised the executive power till January 2, 1815.
Execution
Camacho was sentenced to death by Pablo MorilloPablo Morillo
Pablo Morillo y Morillo, Count of Cartagena and Marquess of La Puerta, aka El Pacificador was a Spanish general....
and the War Council on August 31, 1816 and was executed by a firing squad on the same day, at the age of fifty. He was sick, blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
and paralyzed and had to be carried in his wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
up the platform designated for his execution.
Survivors
When Camacho died, his family was oppressed by the Terror Regime until the liberation by 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 1819. His wife asked the Libertador to grant her a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
for her husband's sacrifice to the Nation. Bolívar personally asked congress for this and in 1820 a pension was given to her in his name. His daughter, Indalecia Camacho, who was also blind, received a pension from Congress on May 26, 1869. His niece, Juana Martínez Camacho, married Antonio Ricaurte
Antonio Ricaurte
-Further reading:* FUNDACIÓN POLAR. Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela. Caracas: 1997, second edition.* ROMERO MARTÍNEZ, VINICIO. ...Y Ricaurte se inmoló en San Mateo. Caracas: Edigraph, 1973....
.
See also
- Camilo Torres TenorioCamilo Torres TenorioCamilo Torres Tenorio was a Colombian politician. He is credited as being an early founder of the nation due to his role in early struggles for independence from Spain.-Biography:...
- Francisco José de CaldasFrancisco José de CaldasFrancisco José de Caldas was a Colombian lawyer, naturalist, and geographer who died a martyr by orders of Pablo Morillo during the Reconquista for being a precursor of the Independence of New Granada ....
- Spanish invasion of New GranadaSpanish Invasion of New GranadaThe Spanish Invasion of New Granada in 1815–1816 was part of the Spanish American wars of independence in South America. Shortly after the Napoleonic Wars ended, Ferdinand VII, recently restored to the throne in Spain, decided to send military forces to retake most of northern South American...