List of Governors of the Province of Cartagena
The Province of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia was erected in 1533, instantaneously after the conquistador Don Pedro de Heredia set foot on the city, thus fulfilling his part in the contract of conquest made with the King Charles V of Spain.
It changed names and even became independent during the 19th century but essentially conserved its territorial area.
The following is the list of the Governors or Presidents of the Province, or in other cases Republic of Cartagena.
Leaders of the territory when it was an independent nation are also included here.
Province of Cartagena de Indias (1533-1810)
The province of Cartagena in its initial form lasted between 1533 and 1810, the title of the province's chief executive was Governor. With exceptions in 1539 and 1540, provisional leaders served without that title and during the Viceroyalty the administrative power of the governor diminished due to the presence of the Viceroy in Cartagena de Indias and its election as alternative capital of the New Grenada.
During this time, Cartagena de Indias mayor had some powers (judicial and administrative of other kind) that actually has not, and many of the powers vested in today's mayor were of the Governor, making him besides its military and budgetary authority in the province, a semi-mayor of the capital city, and because of its importance had significant autonomy from Bogotá playing a vital role in the New Grenada balance of powers.
In this list appears the title, name, length of the governorship and notes about the incumbency.
- 1. Don Pedro de Heredia (1533–1535) Founder of the City and the province.
- 2. Don Juan de Badillo (1535–1537) In his name exist the 1st. and 2nd. streets of Badillo in the City.
- 3. Don Juan de Santacruz (1537–1539)
- 4. Exc. Cartagena de Indias City Council (1539–1540)
- 5. Don Miguel Díaz de Armendáriz (1540-1540)
- 6. Don Alonso de Zurita (1540-1540)
- 7. Don Francisco De Montaño (1540-1540)
- 8. Don Pedro de Heredia (1540–1554)
- 9. Don Juan Maldonado (1554–1556)
- 10. Don Jorge de Quintanilla (1556-1556)
- 11. Don Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1556–1557)
- 12. Don Francisco Velásquez (1557-1557)
- 13. Don Juan de Bustos y Villegas (1557–1562) Resisted the pirate attack of Martin Cote
- 14. Don Martin de las Alas (1562–1563)
- 15. Don Anton Davalos de Luna (1563–1567) Died in office of natural causes (disease)
- 16. Don Alonso de Vargas (1567-1567) The shortest governor in history, his rule lasted only 5 days and 3 hours, Died in office from appendicitis.
- 17. Don Juan Lope de Orozco (1567–1572) Interim governor
- 18. Don Francisco Bahamonde de Lugo (1572–1573) Died in office of natural causes
- 19. Don Hernan Suarez de Villalobos (1573–1574)
- 20. Don Pedro Fernandez de Busto (1574–1577)
- 21. Don Pedro de Lodeña (1577–1585)
- 22. Don Pedro de Acuña y De los Monteros, Knight of Sovereign Military Order of Malta (1585–1589)
- 23. Dr. Don Antonio Gonzalez y Queipo del Llano (1589–1590)
- 24. Don Jerónimo de Zuazo y Casasola, Knight of the Order of Santiago (1590–1605), Died in office of natural causes. Made many public works and began the construction of the city government palace.
- 25. Don Francisco Sarmiento de Sotomayor (1605–1606) Interim.
- 26. Don Diego Fernández de Velasco, Knight of the Order of Alcantara, Marquis of Solaner
- 27. Don Garci Girón de Loayza, Count of Villasañudo (1613–1620)
- 28. Don Diego de Escobar y Olañeta, Marquis of Mohedana de la Frontera, Knight of the Order of Santiago (1620–1625) Finished the city government palace and refurbished many other civil buildings.
- 29. Don Francisco de Berrio y de Garriztabengoa, Lord of Azcárate (1625–1628)
- 30. Ing. Don Francisco de Murga y Veleidén, Marquis of las Murallas (1628–1633) Began the works in the city walls, in recognition of his efficiency gained the title of Marquis "of the walls".
- 31. Don Pedro de Fidalgo y Oreiro, Marquis of Fica del Duero, Knight of the Order of Santiago (1633–1636)
- 31. Don Nicolas de Larraspuru y de Villanueva (1636–1637)
- 32. Don Gonzalo de Herrera y de la Calzada, Marquis of Villalta (1637-1637) The Villalta manor was the first noble estate established in the New Grenada, in 1540, the governor held other minor titles but acquired this one through marriage.
- 33. Don Vicente de los Reyes Villalobos, (1637–1638)
- 34. Field Marshal Don Melchor de Aguilera (1638–1640)
- 35. Gen. Don Diego Fernández de Córdoba, Marquis of Guadalcázar, Knight of the Order of Santiago (1640–1641) Do not confuse him with his father with the same name, who was Viceroy of New Spain, and of Peru (1640–1641)
- 36. Don Hortuno de Aldape (1641–1643)
- 37. Gen. Don Luis Fernandez de Córdoba, Knight of the Order of Santiago (1643–1646)
- 38. Don Clemente Soriano (1647-1647)
- 39. Don Pedro Zapata de Moxos (1647–1648)
- 40. Don Fernando de la Rivaguero, Knight of the Order of Santiago (1648–1654)
- 41. Don Pedro Zapata de Moxos (1654-1654)
- 42. Don Francisco Rexis Corbalán (1654-1654)
- 43. Don Juan Pérez de Guzmán (1654–1659)
- 44. Don Diego de Portugal y de Sintra, Grandee of Spain Member of the Portuguese Royal Family (1659–1661). Only royal to rule in the New Grenada.
- 45. Don Juan Pérez de Guzmán, (1661–1664)
- 46. Don Benito de Figueroa y Barrantes (1664–1668)
- 47. Don Pedro De Ulloa y Rivadeneira (1668–1677)
- 48. Don José Daza y Guzmán (1677–1678)
- 49. Gen. Don Rafael Capsir y Sanz (1678–1684) during his rule occurred the event of the Cessatio a divinis.
- 50. Don Juan De Pando y Estrada (1684–1686)
- 51. Don Francisco de Castro y de Castro (1686–1687) Residenced by the King because of many violent events ordered by him during his tenure, it is widely believed that was severely mentally ill.
- 52. Don Martin De Zevallos y De la Cerda (1687–1692)
- 53. Don Diego de Portugal y de Sintra, Grandee of Spain, (1692–1695) Second time.
- 54. Field Marshal Don Diego de los Rios (1695–1698) Died defending the city during the Raid of Pointis in 1698. Do not confuse with his great grandson who was last governor of the Philippines
- 55. Don Juan Díaz-Pimienta y Solanarubias, Marquis of Villareal de la Mancha (1698–1706) Began the reconstruction of the city.
- 56. Don José Zúñiga y La Cerda (1706–1710)
- 57. Don Jeronimo de Badillo (1710–1715) Finished the reconstruction of the public buildings and oversaw the beginning of the economic expansion of the city in the 18th century.
- 58. Field Marshal Don Francisco de Baloco y Leigrave, (1715–1720), the Baloco street in the Cartagena de Indias is in his memory.
- 59. Don Alberto de Bertodano y Dolores (1720–1722)
- 60. Col. Don Luis de Aponte (1722–1725)
- 61. Field Marshal Don Juan José de Andía, Marquis of Villahermosa (1725–1731)
- 62. Col. Antonio de la Sala (1731–1735)
- 63. Don Pedro Fidalgo (1735–1739)
- 64 Don Melchor de Navarrete Marquis of la Defensa de San Luis (1739–1742)
- 65. Don Basilio de Gante (1742–1749)
- 66. Lt. Don Ignacio de la Sala, son of the 64th. governor, finished many public works and is known as the builder of the Cádiz puerta de tierra. (1749–1750)
- 67. Don Fernando Morillo Velarde Knight of the Order of Alcantara (1750–1754) curiously, a far relative of Pablo Morillo who destroyed the city sixty years later.
- 68. Don José de Sobremonte Marquis de Sobremonte, (1754–1761) built many public buildings like the first bullring of the New Grenada, and finished the city walls.
- 69. Don Fernando Morillo Velarde Knight of the Order of Alcantara (1761–1766) Second time
- 70. Don Gregorio de la Sierra (1766–1773)
- 71. Col. Don Juan Díaz de Torrezar y Pimienta, Knight of the Order of Charles III. (1773–1782) Built many hospitals and opened many roads, its very well remembered because of his efficiency. He was the son of the 59th governor. Became Viceroy of the New Grenada after his incumbency ended, but died shortly after. Some say the Viceroy that succeeded him, had a part in this.
- 72. Don Roque de Quiroga (1782–1785)
- 73. Don José de Carrión y Andrade (1785–1789)
- 74. Don Antonio de Narváez y de la Torre Marquis of Santa Coa (1789-1789)
- 75. Don Joaquin de Cañaveral y Ponce (1789–1796) During his tenure the expansive economic cycle reached a peak and stabilized since then, and opened the city's Consulate of Commerce.
- 76. Field Marshal Don Anastasio Zejudo (1796–1808), Died in office, suffocated a negro revolt instigated by the recently independent Haiti slave republic.
- 77 Don Francisco de Montes (1808–1810) Deposed by a Junta after the events of the Peninsular War.
Peninsular War, Revolution and Independence (1810-1820)
The events of the peninsular war and the convocation of Juntas throughout Spain transformed the traditional order. Although everything remained the same, the instability of this period makes almost impossible to state what was the precise status of the province.
- 78. Don Blas de Soria Santacruz, assumed as chief of the Junta of Cartagena de Indias with two vocals: Don Antonio de Narváez y de la Torre and Don Tomás De Andrés Torres. (1810-1810)
This triumvirate was fragile and was replaced by a "Supreme Junta" where the locals had more power, this could be regarded as a sort of fight between the virtually nonexistent royal power and the city councils.
- 79. Dr. Don Jose Maria Garcia de Toledo y De Madariaga Marquis of Valdehoyos (1810-1810) under the title of President of the Junta.
- 80. Gen. Don Antonio de Narváez y de la Torre Marquis of Santa Coa (1810-1810) with the title of President-Governor
By this time the chaos dominated the political scene, many reclaimed independence of the viceroyalty, others of the province, others the return of the Ancien regime and others keeping the status quo during this time, being the governor, or whatever the title had the office, was always a short victory of each faction.
- 81. Don Jose Davila (1810–1811) with the title of Governor
- 82. Dr. Don José María Del Real y Mirandela (1811-1811) with the title of General Supreme Governor
- 83. Don José Ignacio de Cavero y Cárdenas (1811-1811) with the title of President of the Junta
- 84. Dr. Don José María Del Real y Mirandela (1811-1811) Second time
- 85. Don Manuel Rodriguez de Torices (1811-1811) as Prefect of the Constituent Assembly of Cartagena de Indias
In 11 November 1811, the Assembly declared Cartagena de Indias an independent nation, from Spain, and also of any type of control from Bogotá and proceeded to elect his first president. The majority of historians regard this as very important but, in practice, those who voted against independence adhered to the Cádiz Cortes, Napoleon I, Charles IV or even an ethereal absolutism in name of Ferdinand VII of Spain. Again, the office of governor with all the men under its command was in the service of the faction in power, making the province switching from absolutist, to pan-Hispanic liberal, to independent, to absolutist again.
Between 1811 and 1814 the original province annexed through war the neighboring province of Santa Marta, unifying for the first time the eastern Caribbean Coast of South America. This expansion of and consolidation of the Cartagena Republic was short-lived, the pan-Hispanic liberals adhering to the Cádiz Cortes took office again and stopped hostilities against the royalists in Santa Marta but kept the lands gained by the revolutionaries.
- 86. Don Gabriel Gutierrez de Piñeres (1811–1814) During his period the capital lived one of its darkest periods, full of disorder, anarchy and civil strife in the name of liberty. He finally lost his post due to the disorder that he fomented, the city lived 2 months without government in 1814 and was severely impoverished and damaged. Many pamphlets of enemies of his time described him as a Tropical Robbespierre and that was not far from truth.
- 87. Don Juan De Dios Amador y Lopez de Lozanarubias (1815-1815) Endured the siege of Pablo Morillo of the royalist faction, that doomed the city to utter destruction and left it almost as a ghost town.
- 88. Don Juan Elias López-Tagle y de Madariaga, cousin of ex-governor García de Toledo, was delegated by Amador to give up the city keys to Pablo Morillo because he declared himself "morally incapable".
After the city and its province returned to the hands of the absolutist royalists in 1815 the Ancien regime so longed by most of the capital and its inhabitants proved to be anachronous, because the problems created by the revolution and the new times that came with it overturned the old system, and the representatives of the absolutism were just that: representatives, they followed orders, and restoration was harsh without concessions, almost all historians coincide that that was the sign of the failure of the restoration.
The holocaust of Cartagena, the failure of the restoration and the growing radicalism of the second reign of the recently restored Ferdinand VII fed the Spanish Americas with the real desire of independence for the first time, after the dramatic but lets say educational experience of home rule. The campaign of reconquista of Pablo Morillo from Cartagena became harder and harder because popular sentiment began to shift from the first time for full union of the provinces and independence of Spain.
- 89. Field Marshal Don Pablo Morillo Count of Cartagena de Indias (1815-1815)
- 90. Field Marshal Captain General Don Francisco de Montalvo y Ambulodi (1816-1815)
- 91. Don Gabriel De Torres y Velasco (1815–1820) known for his descriptions of the city after was handed out to Morillo in 1815, only testimony left of the destruction.
Intendency of the Magdalena River and the Isthmus (1820-1832)
In August 1820, the Province of Cartagena was finally annexed to Greater Colombia and finally the revolutionary wars ended. In 1821 Cartagena and Santa Marta provinces merged in the Intendency of the Magdalena River and the Isthmus, and were ruled over a Prefect Intendent from Cartagena de Indias.
- 92. Lt. Col. Don Jose Maria Córdoba (1820-1820)
- 93. Dr. Don Pedro Gual Escandón (1820–1821)
- 94. Col Mr. Jacinto Lara (1821-1821)
- 95. Ilmo. Don Manuel de Romay y Riverol (1821-1821) Under the title of Political Governor of the Province
- 96. Gen. Don Mariano Montilla (1821–1822) The first as serve as Prefect Intendent in an organized Intendency.
- 97. Col. Don Jose Vicente Ucros y de Herrera (1822–1824)
- 98. Dr. Don José Ignacio de Cavero y Cárdenas (1824-1824)
- 99. Gen. Don Carlos Soublette (1824–1825)
- 100. Dr. Don