Miguel Antonio Caro
Encyclopedia
Miguel Antonio Caro Tobar was a Colombia
n scholar, poet, journalist, philosopher, orator, philologist, lawyer and politician
.
on November 10, 1845, and he died in the same city on August 5, 1909.
were the founders of the Colombian Conservative Party
. His father’s criticisms of President José Hilario López led to his exile
to New York City
.
Caro did not attend college or University. Nevertheless, as autodidact, he was very well versed in economics, world history and literature, social science, jurisprudence, linguistics and philology. He was also well known as great orator, debater and poet. Also, as a scholar, he translated several of the works of Virgil
io from Latin. He was appointed as Director of the National Library, elected as MP, and founder of the Academia Colombiana de la Lengua
.
During the presidential election of 1892, the Colombian Conservative Party
was divide in two movements: traditionalists and nationalists. The nationalists nominated Rafael Núñez
as candidate for President and Caro as Vice-President. The traditionalists nominated Marcelino Vélez and José Joaquín Ortiz. The Colombian Liberal Party
did not participate. Obviously, the conservatives won, and the nationalists outnumbered the traditionalist. Thus, Núñez and Caro were elected for the 1892-1898 presidential term.
. Nevertheless, Caro insisted that Núñez had to be inaugurated as President before retiring. Thus, Núñez accepted and was inaugurated in Cartagena and immediately after he resigned. Therefore, Caro, as Vice-President, began acting as President.
Caro never used the title of President
, but rather the one of Vice President of Colombia
in charge of the Executive Office. Although he was the legitimate and constitutional President of Colombia, he did so to show respect to his mentor Rafael Núñez
, whose illness forced him to cede day-to-day power.
Due to the vehement animadversion and tenacious opposition from the liberals and traditionalists conservatives towards his government, Caro imposed a severe censorship law against the opposition. On August 4, 1983, by decree and invoking the law 61 of 1888, known as the “ley de los caballos” (law of the horses), he muzzled the opposition newspapers and curtailed the freedom of the press. In a subsequent decree, Caro shut down the major opposition and liberal newspapers “El Redactor” and “El Contenporáneo”, and expelled out of the country its directors Santiago Pérez
and Modesto Garcés. Other opposition leaders and activists were incarcerated.
During the six years as President of Colombia, Caro had to crush three coup d'état attempts by the liberals.
On January 22, 1894, the liberal party launched a major offensive against the government of President Caro. The Colombian Liberal Party
, with its principal leaders spelled out of the country or detained, its newspapers closed and the freedom of the press and freedom of association suspended, the liberal party found no other alternative but to engage in civil war. This revolt rapidly extended throughout the country, mainly in the states of Boyacá
, Cauca
, Cundinamarca
, Bolívar (Bolívar Department
), Tolima and Santander (Norte de Santander Department). Even though the rebels had been aided by foreign countries, they were promptly defeated by the armies of President Caro. On March 15, 1895, the civil war came to an end at the battle of “Enciso”, in Santander.
Almost a year later, on January 1896, the conservative group of the traditionalist sent to Caro a very stern admonition, known as the “Manifesto of the 21”, expressing their discontent and disapproval of the affairs of his administration. The manifesto’s main signatory was Carlos Martínez Silva and twenty other prominent dignitaries and political leaders. They urged Caro to lift martial law, reinstate civil liberties and to have a magnanimous approach towards the liberals.
Caro was so disillusioned and offended by the “Manifesto of the 21”, that he resigned to the presidency on March 12, 1896. Caro appointed General Guillermo Quintero Calderón to replace, and he retired to his family retreat in Sopó
. General Quintero Calderón designated Abraham Moreno, of the opposition group, as Minister of Government. This infuriated Caro, and he retook his office of the presidency on March 17, 1896.
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 scholar, poet, journalist, philosopher, orator, philologist, lawyer and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Biographic data
Miguel Antonio Caro was born in BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
on November 10, 1845, and he died in the same city on August 5, 1909.
Early life
His father José Eusebio Caro and Mariano Ospina RodríguezMariano Ospina Rodríguez
Mariano Ospina Rodríguez was a Colombian politician, journalist and lawyer, founder of the Colombian Conservative Party and later President of Colombia between 1857 and 1861 during the Granadine Confederation.- Biographic data :...
were the founders of the Colombian Conservative Party
Colombian Conservative Party
The Colombian Conservative Party , is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was unofficially founded by a group of Revolutionary Commoners during the Revolutionary War for Independence from the Spanish Monarchy and later formally established during the Greater Colombia...
. His father’s criticisms of President José Hilario López led to his exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Caro did not attend college or University. Nevertheless, as autodidact, he was very well versed in economics, world history and literature, social science, jurisprudence, linguistics and philology. He was also well known as great orator, debater and poet. Also, as a scholar, he translated several of the works of Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
io from Latin. He was appointed as Director of the National Library, elected as MP, and founder of the Academia Colombiana de la Lengua
Academia Colombiana de la Lengua
The Academia Colombiana de la Lengua is an association of academics and experts on the use of the Spanish language in Colombia...
.
Political career
Caro, as philosopher, scholar and orator played a decisive and important role in the preparation, composition and enactment of the new Constitution of 1886. This significant achievement gave him an enormous prestige in the political realm.During the presidential election of 1892, the Colombian Conservative Party
Colombian Conservative Party
The Colombian Conservative Party , is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was unofficially founded by a group of Revolutionary Commoners during the Revolutionary War for Independence from the Spanish Monarchy and later formally established during the Greater Colombia...
was divide in two movements: traditionalists and nationalists. The nationalists nominated Rafael Núñez
Rafael Núñez (politician)
Rafael Wenceslao Núñez Moledo was a Colombian author, lawyer, journalist and politician, who was elected President of Colombia in 1880 and in 1884. Rafael Núñez was born in Cartagena de Indias, on September 28, 1825. He died in Cartagena on September 18, 1894.-Early life:Little is known about the...
as candidate for President and Caro as Vice-President. The traditionalists nominated Marcelino Vélez and José Joaquín Ortiz. The Colombian Liberal Party
Colombian Liberal Party
The Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
did not participate. Obviously, the conservatives won, and the nationalists outnumbered the traditionalist. Thus, Núñez and Caro were elected for the 1892-1898 presidential term.
The Presidency
Núñez had expressed his clear desire not to be inaugurated, but rather to retire to his native city of CartagenaCartagena, 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...
. Nevertheless, Caro insisted that Núñez had to be inaugurated as President before retiring. Thus, Núñez accepted and was inaugurated in Cartagena and immediately after he resigned. Therefore, Caro, as Vice-President, began acting as President.
Caro never used the title of President
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"...
, but rather the one of Vice President of Colombia
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...
in charge of the Executive Office. Although he was the legitimate and constitutional President of Colombia, he did so to show respect to his mentor Rafael Núñez
Rafael Núñez (politician)
Rafael Wenceslao Núñez Moledo was a Colombian author, lawyer, journalist and politician, who was elected President of Colombia in 1880 and in 1884. Rafael Núñez was born in Cartagena de Indias, on September 28, 1825. He died in Cartagena on September 18, 1894.-Early life:Little is known about the...
, whose illness forced him to cede day-to-day power.
Due to the vehement animadversion and tenacious opposition from the liberals and traditionalists conservatives towards his government, Caro imposed a severe censorship law against the opposition. On August 4, 1983, by decree and invoking the law 61 of 1888, known as the “ley de los caballos” (law of the horses), he muzzled the opposition newspapers and curtailed the freedom of the press. In a subsequent decree, Caro shut down the major opposition and liberal newspapers “El Redactor” and “El Contenporáneo”, and expelled out of the country its directors Santiago Pérez
Santiago Pérez de Manosalbas
Santiago Pérez de Manosalbas was a Colombian educator, lawyer, diplomat, writer, journalist and statesman who was President of the United States of Colombia between 1874 and 1876.- Biographic data :...
and Modesto Garcés. Other opposition leaders and activists were incarcerated.
During the six years as President of Colombia, Caro had to crush three coup d'état attempts by the liberals.
On January 22, 1894, the liberal party launched a major offensive against the government of President Caro. The Colombian Liberal Party
Colombian Liberal Party
The Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
, with its principal leaders spelled out of the country or detained, its newspapers closed and the freedom of the press and freedom of association suspended, the liberal party found no other alternative but to engage in civil war. This revolt rapidly extended throughout the country, mainly in the states of Boyacá
Boyacá Department
Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...
, Cauca
Cauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
, Cundinamarca
Cundinamarca Department
- Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands....
, Bolívar (Bolívar Department
Bolívar Department
Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its...
), Tolima and Santander (Norte de Santander Department). Even though the rebels had been aided by foreign countries, they were promptly defeated by the armies of President Caro. On March 15, 1895, the civil war came to an end at the battle of “Enciso”, in Santander.
Almost a year later, on January 1896, the conservative group of the traditionalist sent to Caro a very stern admonition, known as the “Manifesto of the 21”, expressing their discontent and disapproval of the affairs of his administration. The manifesto’s main signatory was Carlos Martínez Silva and twenty other prominent dignitaries and political leaders. They urged Caro to lift martial law, reinstate civil liberties and to have a magnanimous approach towards the liberals.
Caro was so disillusioned and offended by the “Manifesto of the 21”, that he resigned to the presidency on March 12, 1896. Caro appointed General Guillermo Quintero Calderón to replace, and he retired to his family retreat in Sopó
Sopó
Sopó is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
. General Quintero Calderón designated Abraham Moreno, of the opposition group, as Minister of Government. This infuriated Caro, and he retook his office of the presidency on March 17, 1896.