Juan Antonio Lavalleja (June 24, 1784 – October 22, 1853) was an Uruguayan revolutionary and political figure. Today's Lavalleja Department is named after him.
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He led the group called "Thirty-Three Orientals" during Uruguay's Declaration of Independence from Brazil in 1825. His leadership of this group has taken on somewhat mythic proportions in popular Uruguayan historiography.
After Uruguay's independence in 1827, Lavalleja sought the presidency as a rival to Fructuoso Rivera, who won. In protest to his loss, Lavalleja staged revolts. He was part of a triumvirate chosen in 1852 to govern Uruguay, but died shortly after his accession to power.
Lavalleja is remembered as a fugitive and rebel who led the fight against Uruguayans' Brazilian masters. But as one of the major figures in early, post-independence Uruguayan history he is identified as a skilled but reactionary warrior who contributed to the culture of intermittent civil war which dogged Uruguay for much of the 19th century.
One of Uruguay's Departments is named after him.
| Preceded by Venancio Flores |
President of Uruguay 1853 – 1854 |
Succeeded by Fructuoso Rivera |