Francisco Javier Echeverría

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Francisco Javier Echeverría

In office September 22, 1841 – October 10, 1841
Preceded by	Anastasio Bustamante
Succeeded by	Antonio López de Santa Anna

Born	ca. July 2, 1797 Jalapa, Veracruz
Died	September 17, 1852 Mexico City
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Refugio Almanza

Francisco Javier Echeverría (ca. July 2, 1797, Jalapa, Veracruz—September 17, 1852, Mexico City) was a Mexican businessman and conservative and centralist politician. He served as president of Mexico in late 1841 for a few weeks.

1 Background
2 National politics
3 President of Mexico
4 References

[edit] Background

Francisco Javier Echeverría was born in Jalapa, Veracruz. In his youth he worked in his family's commercial firm, but soon entered politics. He was elected a deputy in the local congress in 1829. In 1934 he moved to Mexico City, where he headed the family firm of Viuda de Echeverría y Hijos.

[edit] National politics

President Antonio López de Santa Anna named him secretary of the treasury. He served in this position from May 5, 1834 to September 1 of the same year, when he resigned over disagreements with the government of Santa Anna.

Two years later he was a member of the Council of State under Anastasio Bustamante, in the latter's second term as president. Echeverría was again secretary of the treasury, still under Bustamante (July 27, 1839 to March 23, 1841). This was after the Pastry War with France, and the treasury was bankrupt. His commercial firm lent 662,000 pesos to the government in copper, receiving payment in silver. He was much attacked for this in the press. He imposed a tax of 3 per 1,000 on rural and urban property and raised the consumption tax 10%. He wanted to amortize the copper coinage through an agreement with the tobacco firms. By these and other measures he greatly improved the situation of the treasury.

[edit] President of Mexico

On September 21, 1841 Congress named him interim president of Mexico, while Bustamante was in the field leading troops against his enemies. Echeverría held the office of president until October 10. He left office when the Liberals returned to power. He retired from politics for a time, but made his return in 1850, as a congressional deputy.

Later he was president of the committee on prisons and also of the Academy of San Carlos. The Academy prospered under his leadership, acquiring its own building, attracting European teachers, and gaining a reputation as the best fine arts academy in America. He was founder and first director of a reformatory for young men.

[edit] References

(Spanish) "Echeverría, Francisco Javier," Enciclopedia de México, v. 4. Mexico City, 1988.
(Spanish) García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 2. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
(Spanish) Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985.