Cristóbal Mendoza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cristóbal Mendoza | |
 |
|
|
|
|
| In office March 5, 1811 – March, 1812 |
|
| Succeeded by | Simón Bolívar |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Born | June 23, 1772 Trujillo |
| Died | February 8, 1829 Caracas |
Cristóbal Hurtado de Mendoza, first President of Venezuela, was born in Trujillo, Venezuela, June 23, 1772 and was educated by his father in a Franciscan Monastery under the tutelage of Friar Antonio de Pereira.
At the age of 16 was sent to Caracas to complete his education. In 1794 obtained his bachelor and masters degree in law. He went to Santo Domingo where he studied civil rights and returned to Venezuela in his late 20s. In 1811, at 29, became first president of the first Venezuelan republic and took measures to begin the war for independence against the Spanish King, he also was author of the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence, In march of 1811 the first Venezuelan constitutional congress defined the executive power as a triumvirate shared between three men. Mendoza was unanimously elected by them as the first of these on March 5, 1811. [1] While in office he formed part of the constitutional convention that designed and implemented the first Constitution of the Republic of Venezuela on July 5, 1811.
After the fall of the first republic upon the invasion by Spain, he moved to the island of Granada. In 1813 Simon Bolivar became president and wrote to him: "You should come without delay: come. The country needs you. I will go ahead conquering and you will follow me organizing; because you are the organizer and I am the conqueror."
He returned to Venezuela and became Governor of the province of Mérida. Then, Bolívar appointed him Governor of Caracas. In 1814 the Spanish forces reinvaded the second Republic, and Mendoza once again went into exile. This time to the Netherland Antilles. From there he wrote numerous articles in favor of the independence movement and against Spanish domination. He returned in 1821 and was designated Justice Minister. In 1826 he became Intendent of Venezuela.
Cristóbal Mendoza's life was marked by an unbreakable loyalty to Simon Bolivar and his ideals. At all time he stood by the concept of a federation of Latin American republics. He opposed the separatist efforts of José Antonio Páez (who would later become President of an independent Venezuela).
On his deathbed he wrote his political will in a letter to Bolivar where he stated his possessions as being "the remembrance of my weak services for the republic and the memories of our lifelong friendship."
Cristóbal Mendoza dies in Caracas, February 8, 1829. [2]
[edit] References
 Presidents of Venezuela  |
|---|
| Mendoza | Bolívar | Bolívar | Páez | Vargas | Narvarte | Carreño | Soublette | Páez | Soublette | J.T. Monagas | J.G. Monagas | J.T. Monagas | Gual | J. Castro | Gual | Tovar | Gual | Páez | Falcón | Bruzual | Villegas | J.R. Monagas | Villegas | Guzmán | Linares | Varela | Guzmán | Crespo | Guzmán | H. López | Rojas | Andueza | Villegas | Crespo | Andrade | C. Castro | Gómez | Márques | Gómez | J. Pérez | Gómez | E. López | Medina | Betancourt | Gallegos | Delgado Chalbaud | Suárez Flamerich | Pérez Jiménez | Larrazábal | Sanabria | Betancourt | Leoni | Caldera | C. Pérez | Herrera | Lusinchi | C. Pérez | Velásquez | Caldera | Chávez | Carmona | Cabello | Chávez |
