Marcos Paz (1813 – January 2, 1868) was
Governor of Córdoba and
Tucumán Province
Tucumán () is the most densely populated, and the second-smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina.
Located in the northwest of the country, the province has the capital of San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neigh ...
s, an
Argentine Senator, and
Vice President of Argentina
The vice president of Argentina ( es, Vicepresidente de Argentina), officially known as the vice president of the Argentine Nation ( es, Vicepresidente de la Nación Argentina), is the second highest political position in Argentina, and first in ...
from October 12, 1862, until his death in 1868.
Biography
Marcos Paz was born to a prominent
Tucuman family in 1813.
His father was
Juan Bautista Paz, a lawyer and legislator who served as deputy governor of the province several times, and his brother was General
Gregorio Paz.
He earned a
law degree
A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers. But while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not confer a license themselves. A legal license is gra ...
in 1834. He married the former Micaela Cascallares, daughter of a wealthy landowner, and settled with her in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
.
After the fall of
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel José Domingo Ortiz de Rosas (30 March 1793 – 14 March 1877), nicknamed "Restorer of the Laws", was an Argentine politician and army officer who ruled Buenos Aires Province and briefly the Argentine Confederation. Althoug ...
in 1852 he joined
Justo José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza y García (; October 18, 1801 – April 11, 1870) was an Argentine general and politician who served as president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860.
Life
Justo José de Urquiza y García was bo ...
in his fight against
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez (26 June 1821 – 19 January 1906) was an Argentine statesman, soldier and author. He was President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868 and the first president of unified Argentina.
Mitre is known as the most versatile ...
's forces in Buenos Aires, and joined Col. Hilario Lagos as an
adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
; the siege was ultimately unsuccessful.
Elected
Governor of Tucumán
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
in 1858, Paz took part in the San José de Flores Pact of 1859, which helped secure national unity, and was elected to the 1860 convention that produced the first amendments to the
Constitution of Argentina
The Constitution of the Argentine Nation ( es, Constitución de la Nación Argentina) is the basic governing document of Argentina, and the primary source of existing law in Argentina. Its first version was written in 1853 by a constitutional ...
. He then assisted Gen. Wesceslao Paunero, who was sent as an envoy by Mitre to other provincial leaders, and served briefly in his stead as Governor of Córdoba, from December 1861 to March 1862.
An erstwhile foe, Buenos Aires leader Bartolomé Mitre, befriended Paz during earlier negotiations, and nominated him as running mate for the 1862 elections. Mitre had obtained significant concessions for Buenos Aires following his victory at the
Battle of Pavón
The Battle of Pavón, a key battle of the Argentine Civil Wars, was fought in Pavón, Santa Fé Province, Argentina on 17 September 1861 between the Army of the State of Buenos Aires, commanded by Bartolomé Mitre, and the Army of Republic of t ...
in 1861, and the choice of Paz, who as a supporter of the
Argentine Confederation would have otherwise be an opponent, was part of Mitre's bid to placate separatist sentiment outside
Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...
. The duo won unanimously in the
electoral college, and Paz became Vice-President of Argentina.
When Mitre was away commanding the allied forces during the
Paraguayan War
The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...
, Paz fulfilled the role of acting president. He died in office on January 2, 1868, in Buenos Aires, as a victim of a
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic, and Mitre had to return to Argentina to resume his position as president.
Legacy
The
Marcos Paz Partido
Marcos Paz is a Partidos of Buenos Aires, ''partido'' in the Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires. Its capital city is Marcos Paz, Buenos Aires, Marcos Paz.
Established on 25 October 1878 (provincial l ...
, administrative division of
Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...
and its capital, the town of
Marcos Paz
Marcos Paz (1813 – January 2, 1868) was Governor of Córdoba and Tucumán Provinces, an Argentine Senator, and Vice President of Argentina from October 12, 1862, until his death in 1868.
Biography
Marcos Paz was born to a prominent Tu ...
are named after him.
External links
Official site*
1813 births
1868 deaths
People from Tucumán Province
Governors of Tucumán Province
Governors of Córdoba Province, Argentina
Members of the Argentine Senate for Tucumán
Vice presidents of Argentina
Argentine military personnel
Marcos Paz Partido
Burials at La Recoleta Cemetery
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