Juan Martín Barrundia Flores (17 December 1845 – 28 August 1890) was a military officer and liberal politician from Guatemala. He was the son of the influential liberal leader
José Francisco Barrundia.
[ Barrundia was appointed as Secretary of War during the constitutional presidential term of general Justo Rufino Barrios, until the violent death of Barrios, on 2 April 1885. After the president's death, Barrundia was hoping to reach the presidency, but was outsmarted by general ]Manuel Lisandro Barillas
Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián (17 January 1845 – 7 April 1907) was a Guatemalan general and acting president of Guatemala from 6 April 1885 to 15 March 1886 and President from 16 March 1886 to 15 March 1892. He was born in Quetzaltenango, ...
, governor of Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala.
The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It may ...
who became president instead.
After going into exile to México, Barrundia kept attacking Barilla's regime which was used against him as he was blamed as the culprit for all the mistakes and abuses that took place during the deceased president Justo Rufino Barrios. Barrundia died in August 1890 when the Guatemalan police attempted to capture him on board of the ''SS Acapulco'', which was docked at Puerto San José
Puerto San José is a town on Guatemala's Pacific Ocean coast, in the department of Escuintla. It has a population of 23,887 (2018 census), .
Biography
Secretary of War
In his newspaper article ''La Penitenciaria de Guatemala'' (English: ''The Guatemalan Penitentiary''), the British-Guatemalan writer Guillermo F. Hall described one of the prisoners who was in charge of punishing his fellow captives in the Penitentiary during Justo Rufino Barrios regime: ''"Tata Juan" was the oldest prisoner in the prison, being inside since it had opened its door. He had been a minion of Rufino Barrios and Barrundia. It was his favorite topic to talk to his admirers about the crimes he had committed, either on his own or by orders of the president and the Secretary of War . ..He would brag about killing twenty six men on his own; he did not recall how many others had died from his punishment in the cells by orders from Barrundia and Barrios- there were so many! He would tell ..how he would fulfill his masters requests; how after hitting someone 200 or 300 times would take a nap lulled with the groaning of his victim o later continuethe task with renewed vigor, destroying their eyes so they would not "complain as much".''
Death of General Barrios
After President General Justo Rufino Barrios died in the battle of Chalchuapa on 2 April 1885, the first presidential designate, Alejandro M. Sinibaldi Castro, took over as Interim President, ratified by Barrios cabinet members. However, under Barrundia's pressure, Sinibaldi resigned on 6 April 1885.
After President Sinibaldi Castro's resignation, the Guatemalan Assembly named the second presidential designate as interim President. This person was General Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián
Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián (17 January 1845 – 7 April 1907) was a Guatemalan general and acting president of Guatemala from 6 April 1885 to 15 March 1886 and President from 16 March 1886 to 15 March 1892. He was born in Quetzaltenango, ...
, who arrived in Guatemala City
Guatemala City ( es, Ciudad de Guatemala), known locally as Guatemala or Guate, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous urban area in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nest ...
when General Barrios was being put to rest and demanded of General Barrundia — Secretary of War and main candidate for the presidency after Sinibaldi's resignation — that he be appointed president, and that he needed room and board for the thousands of troops that he had brought along and were waiting on the outskirts of the city. Barillas was governor of Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala.
The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It may ...
. The troops did not exist, but Barrundia did not know that and by the time he realized he had been taken, Barillas had been sworn as interim President.
Leaving Guatemala for Mexico
Barrundia realized his mistake and had to leave Guatemala and move to Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
when he was accused of embezzling large amounts of government money and threatened to face justice for the illegal tortures that allegedly took place by his orders.
He went to Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, where he printed several pamphlets aimed as Barillas, which was used by the Guatemalan liberals to blame him for all the wrongdoing that occurred under president Barrios, while the latter's persona was idealized. For example, here is how liberal writer Joaquín Méndez describes both of them:
Towards the end of 1888, Barrundia tried to return to Guatemala, but the public opinion was so agitated against him, that he could not reach Guatemala City
Guatemala City ( es, Ciudad de Guatemala), known locally as Guatemala or Guate, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous urban area in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nest ...
and was forced to return to Mexico and there was public outrage in every town that he encountered.
Then, in March 1890, he prepared an invasion from the Mexican border, but as soon as this became known, the Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Relations went to the Legation of Mexico, to call the attention of that
Government to the matter; the Mexican authorities thwarted Barrundia's plan as they seized the arms and munitions of war which he proposed to transport into Guatemala.
Death
After the coup led by Salvadorian general Carlos Ezeta
Carlos Basilio Ezeta y León (14 June 1852 – 21 March 1903) was President of El Salvador from 22 June 1890 to 9 June 1894, when he was overthrown in the Revolution of the 44. He was a military ruler. He died on 21 March 1903, aged 50.
Ear ...
against president Francisco Menéndez Valdivieso, first presidential designate, Camilo Alvarez, and a number of enemies of the new government fled to Guatemala and asked president Barillas' help to stop Ezeta, claiming that he attempted to invade Guatemala; however, their real intention was to recover power in their country using the Guatemalan army to accomplish that. But Barillas, convinced by the rumors, moved his troops to the border and put some of them under the command of Álvarez. After a few skirmishes the troops stopped advancing on either side and the war stopped altogether on 21 August 1890. Sarcastically, Guatemalans called this the '' Totoposte War'' as it was only useful to move troops and corn supplies (Totoposte) to the Salvadorian border, with heavy impact for the country's economy.
Nevertheless, during this war died general Barrundia, while trying to join the Ezetas in El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
. He had boarded the American steamboat ''SS Acapulco'' in Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
, México; however, upon learning this, the Guatemalan Government, based on International Law, detained the ship in Puerto San José
Puerto San José is a town on Guatemala's Pacific Ocean coast, in the department of Escuintla. It has a population of 23,887 (2018 census), and demanded that the passengers be handed over. Barrundia resisted arrest, and was killed by the policemen that were supposed to capture him.
Compensation request to the United States government
In March 1891, his widow Tránsito Hurtarte, on her behalf and that of his six orphan daughters, and his brother in law Ramón Bengoechea, on behalf of his sister Teresa, presented before the Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
a request for one million dollars in compensation for the death of Barrundia on board of the American ''SS Acapulco.'' However, the US government dismissed the case on the grounds that the request had been made by foreign citizens without the support of their government.
See also
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* Justo Rufino Barrios
Notes and references
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrundia, Juan Martin
1845 births
1890 deaths
Liberal Party (Guatemala) politicians
19th-century Guatemalan people
People from Guatemala City
Assassinated Guatemalan politicians