Eliseo Payán

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Eliseo Payán Hurtado
Eliseo Payán
In office
January, 1887 – June, 1887
Preceded by Rafael Núñez
Succeeded by Rafael Núñez
Born August 1, 1825(1825-08-01)
Cali
Died June 30, 1895 (aged 69)
Buga
Nationality colombian
Political party Conservative
Spouse Carmen Ospina Lenis

Eliseo Payán Hurtado (Born August 1, 1825 in Cali - Died June 30, 1895 in Buga) was a Colombian lawyer, politician, and military officer with great influence in Buga and the Cauca Department. Payán Became President of Colombia between January and June, 1887 and tried to pacify the Radical liberals.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Payán studied in the Colegio Santa Libarda in Cali, Colombia and later graduate from the uniteversity as a lawyer, profession he practiced mostly in the city of Buga along with commerce and administrative jobs. He also founded the Democratic Society of Buga and produced a newspaper called "El Sentimiento Democrático" (Spanish for The Democratic Sentiment) along with Manuel Antonio Scarpetta and Ramón Mercado.

[edit] Political career

IN 1840 Payán was forced to participate in the War of the Supremos and gained military experience as member of General José María Obando's army fighting against President José Ignacio de Márquez forces. After the war Payan began his political career in the Provincial Chamber of Cauca, where he became known for his oratory. Between 1854 and 1855 Payán served in the National Congress as representative from Cauca. In 1854 participated in the fight to oust the military dictatorship of José María Melo.

[edit] Governor of Cauca

Payán became a General in the Army and participated in the 1860 Civil War supporting Caucan President Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera against the elected conservative President Mariano Ospina Rodríguez. By the end of the war, Mosquera named Payan governor of the Buga Province, post that he held for a year until becoming governor of the Cauca State. Payan served in this post from 1871 to 1876 and translated the capital from Popayán to Quibdó.

General Payán intervened in the 1876 Civil War to defend the government of Aquileo Parra, but did not engage in action only until after the Liberal triumph in Los Chancos where he was taken prisoner by the conservative forces. General Julián Trujillo, Chief of the Caucan Army appointed him chief of Division, later confronted and defeated the Antioquia Conservative forces in the Battle of Batero. In 1879 organized an army to topple the governor of Cauca. Governor Garcés was deposed and Payan gave control to a civilian, Ezequiel Hurtado, who also was elected as President of the State of Cauca.

[edit] Vice President

In 1881 Payan became candidate for the Presidency of the United States of Colombia but quit in favor of Francisco Zaldúa. For his continuous differences with Radical Liberals Payan participated in the Regenaration Movement that supported Rafael Núñez during the 1880s. From 1882 to 1884 became Secretary of the Secretary of War. Payan became an outspoken defender of the Regeneration Movement and the Radical Revolution of 1885 in which he fought and defeated the Radical troops in the Battle of Santa Bárbara de Cartago, during the second presidential term of President Núñez (1884-1886).

President Núñez considered Payan his main military allied against the radicals and defender of the Regenaration Movement. In 1886 Payan was appointed Vice President by the Delegataries Council that created the 1886 Political Constitution.

[edit] Presidente de Colombia

After being elected Governor of Cauca, Payan resigned his post to replace the ailing President Núñez and assumed office from January to June of 1887 and a second time starting in December of this year until February 8, 1888 when the President recuperated. Payan ordered the total freedom to practice journalism in Colombia, policy that created great controversy. Payán was separated from his post for having contact with prominent Radical Liberals.

[edit] Legacy

The Delegataries Council suppressed the Vice Presidency, considering it prejudicial to the political orientations that prevailed in the Regeneration Movement. In those years, any contrary orientations to the politics by the elected president of Colombian were often called "payanization".

General Eliseo Payán was expelled from the capital; lived in Medellínuntil finally moving to his "Hacienda de San Pedro" in Buga.

[edit] Family

Payan married Carmen Ospina Lenis with whom she had five children.

[edit] References

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