Jorge Córdova (23 April 1822, in
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
– 23 October 1861) was a
Bolivian
Bolivian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to Bolivia
** Bolivian people
** Demographics of Bolivia
** Culture of Bolivia
* SS ''Bolivian'', a British-built standard cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries ...
general and politician who served as the 12th
president of Bolivia
The president of Bolivia ( es, Presidente de Bolivia), officially known as the president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia ( es, Presidente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia), is head of state and head of government of Bolivia and the ca ...
from 1855 to 1857.
Early life
Childhood
Jorge Córdova was born on April 23, 1822, in the city of
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
, which at that time still belonged to the
Viceroyalty of Peru
The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...
. Of unknown parents, unfortunately Córdova had been born into a family of very humble origin belonging to the lower class of
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, which led to days after his birth and while he was still a baby, his parents decided to abandon him, leaving him at the door of a house. belonging to the Asín family, which during that time was a distinguished upper-middle class charitable family from the city of La Paz.
Said family from La Paz decided to adopt him and raise him in their home, giving him the name of Jorge and later, when the boy had grown up, he himself decided to take the surname of Córdova voluntarily. He began his primary studies in 1827 at the San Francisco School, which at that time oversaw the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
father José Rivero.
While studying at the Franciscan school, Córdova was not a distinguished student because he had never excelled in any subject for any aptitude and according to the Bolivian historian
Alcides Arguedas, Córdova also did not have a moral education during his childhood, which later would bring him many problems.
Reaching almost adolescence, Córdova already had a soft and somewhat lazy character but a passionate and sensual temperament. He was expelled from his school for being lazy and undisciplined and then for being a rebellious boy he would also be expelled from the Asín home. During his early years, Córdova was very attracted to a life of laziness and adventure.
Military campaigns (1834-1841)
Already on the street and looking for a safe haven, Córdova decided to enlist in the
Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army ( es, Ejército Boliviano) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of Bolivia.
Figures on the size and composition of the Bolivian army vary considerably, with little official data available. It is estimated that the arm ...
in March 1834 when he was only 12 years old at the time, just as many youngsters did (his own contemporaries) during that time, adopting the arms career.
But due to his too young age, which prevented him from being a line soldier and in order not to expel him from the ranks, the officers then decide to send the young Córdova to an army music band where he started as a player of the
Triangle
A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC.
In Euclidean geometry, an ...
(musical instrument).
Battle of ingavi
In 1841, the Peruvian Army under the command of its president
Agustín Gamarra
Agustín Gamarra Messia (August 27, 1785 – November 18, 1841) was a Peruvian soldier and politician, who served as the 4th and 7th President of Peru.
Gamarra was a Mestizo, being of mixed Spanish and Quechua descent.Larned, Smith, Seymour, Sh ...
decides to invade Bolivia to annex Bolivian territories. In defense, under the command of the President of Bolivia at the time, Marshal
José Ballivián
José Ballivián Segurola (5 May 1805 – 6 October 1852) was a Bolivian general during the Peruvian-Bolivian War. He also served as the ninth president of Bolivia from 1841 to 1847.
Early life
Born in La Paz to wealthy parents, Ballivián ha ...
, who decided to unite all Bolivians (who were fighting at the time).
The armies met at the
Battle of Ingavi
The Battle of Ingavi occurred on November 18, 1841, during the Peruvian-Bolivian War of 1841-1842, in the town of Ingavi, Bolivia. The Bolivian Army, commanded by Jose Ballivian, there met an invading Peruvian Army commanded by Agustín Gamarra ...
and Peru was decisively defeated. Córdova would also participate in this battle and at the end of it he would be promoted to the rank of captain (at 20 years of age) in 1842 for his courage and heroic behavior.
Military career
A couple of years later, in 1844, already as an army captain, Jorge Córdova married Edelmira Belzú Gorriti (daughter of then Colonel
Manuel Isidoro Belzu
Manuel Isidoro Belzu Humérez (4 April 1808 – 27 March 1865) was a Bolivian military officer and statesman who served as the 11th president of Bolivia from 1848 to 1855. Under his presidency, the current national anthem of Bolivia and flag of ...
). From that moment, Córdova would be very attached to his father-in-law both in the family sphere as well as in the political-party sphere. At this point, the prominent Bolivian historian Alcides Arguedas would affirm many years later (in 1929), that both men (Belzú and Córdova) understood each other very well because they had the same origin since both had been born and came from the lower and poor classes. from Bolivia.
The young Córdova continued with his military career, rising quickly due to his connection with Belzu. In 1845, he was promoted to the rank of major and in 1848 to the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is worth mentioning that that year his father-in-law reached the Presidency of Bolivia through a coup against President
José Miguel de Velasco
José Miguel de Velasco Franco (; 29 September 1795 – 13 October 1859) was a Bolivian military officer and statesman who served as the fourth president of Bolivia on four occasions: 1828, 1829, 1839-1841, and 1848. Velasco also served as the ...
, Córdova played a crucial role in the Battle of Yamparáez of 1848.
Presidency
Election
![CAMPERO(1874) pg31 General Belzu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/CAMPERO%281874%29_pg31_General_Belzu.jpg)
When in 1855 Belzu decided to call
elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...
and "retire" from
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
in the face of repeated
rebellion
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
s against his rule, he sponsored Córdova's candidacy. The latter was elected president and proceeded to be sworn in on August 15, 1855, at age thirty-three. Not surprisingly, Córdova was widely seen as ex-president Belzu's proxy, and merely an instrument of his power. Belzu remained the proverbial "
power behind the throne
The phrase "power behind the throne" refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of a high-ranking office, such as a head of state. In politics, it most commonly refers to a relative, aide, or nominal subordinate of a poli ...
," and this fact only spurred the opposition to continue to conspire against the hated Belzu-Córdova regime, which had run Bolivian politics since 1848.
Downfall
In August 1857, Córdova had moved to the city of
Sucre
Sucre () is the Capital city, capital of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the List of cities in Bolivia, 6th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of . T ...
to give his presidential message to the nation in homage to August 6 (day of the country's foundation). Hardly a month had passed when, in September of that year, the tireless political fighter
José María Linares
José María Linares Lizarazu (10 July 1808 – 23 October 1861) was a Bolivian lawyer and politician who served as the 13th president of Bolivia from 1857 to 1861.
Early life and education
He was born in Tical, Potosí, in his family's hacie ...
reappeared. On September 9, 1857, Linares proclaimed himself in the city of
Oruro
Oruro (Hispanicized spelling) or Uru Uru is a city in Bolivia with a population of 264,683 (2012 calculation), about halfway between La Paz and Sucre in the Altiplano, approximately above sea level.
It is Bolivia's fifth-largest city by pop ...
as the new President of Bolivia, rising up militarily with his followers against the government of President Córdova.
This time, Córdova launched his army (which was in the city of Sucre) and set out on a trip to the city of Oruro with the aim of disrupting the subversive movement of Linares and his followers. President Córdova put himself at the head of his troops, because with this action, Córdova wanted to put an end once and for all to all the military uprisings that had been generated throughout his government and which were promoted by Linares.
When José María Linares found out about Córdova's approach to Oruro, he left the city with his followers on September 17 and headed to
Cochabamba
Cochabamba ( ay, Quchapampa; qu, Quchapampa) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 63 ...
, taking with him all the weapons of the military garrisons (barracks) of Oruro.
Battle of Cochabamba
President Córdova's troops entered the city of Cochabamba and attacked the barricades trying to enter the main plaza on 14 de Septiembre, but their efforts were useless as they were constantly pushed back by the "Linaristas" and the armed people og the city.
Seeing the failure of his infantry, Córdova decided to send his fearsome cavalry, but they were also rejected and his multiple attempts were in vain. It is worth mentioning that the battle lasted for 3 days.
In the end, very exhausted from fighting, the government troops were defeated and Córdova had to flee Cochabamba, returning again to the city of Oruro with a few troops still loyal to him. In that city, a battalion of his rose up against him and also learned that the cities of La Paz and Sucre had also risen up in favor of José María Linares. Córdova was overthrown and decided to exile himself abroad, escaping to Peru to protect his own life.
Assassination
During the government of President
José María de Achá
José María de Achá Valiente (8 July 1810 – 29 January 1868) was a Bolivian general who served as the 14th president of Bolivia from 1861 to 1864. He served in the battles of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation and conspired against longtime ...
, Cordova returned to Bolivia, thanks to an amnesty, but was the victim of a conspiracy by Colonel Plácido Yáñez, who accused him of allegedly conspiring against the Achá government and had him arrested at his home.
While he was under arrest, Córdova was assassinated on October 23, 1861, by order Colonel Yáñez, along with fifty other detainees, these killings were named the ''Matanzas de Yañez'' or ''Matanzas of Loretto''.
Two days later, the Bolivian government sought to legalize this murder, sentencing the late former president Córdova to death, in a pantomime of a War Council, on charges of high treason.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordova, Jorge
1822 births
1861 deaths
19th-century Bolivian politicians
Assassinated Bolivian politicians
Bolivian military personnel
Bolivian people of Spanish descent
Candidates in the 1855 Bolivian presidential election
Leaders ousted by a coup
People from La Paz
People murdered in Bolivia
People of the War of the Confederation
Presidents of Bolivia
1861 murders in South America
19th-century murders in Bolivia