Manuel Mariano Melgarejo Valencia (13 April 1820 – 23 November 1871)
was a Bolivian
military officer and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
, fifteenth
president of the Republic of Bolivia from December 28, 1864, until his fall on January 15, 1871.
He assumed power in 1864 after staging a coup d'état against 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 ...
, thus beginning six-year dictatorship, popularly known as the ''Sexenio''. He would cement his power after personally killing former president
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 ...
in 1865.
He was of controversial personality and his dictatorship is remembered in
Bolivia mainly for its poor government administration and its abuses against the indigenous population, in addition to having signed unfavorable border treaties with
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
in 1866 and 1867, which proved to be devastating in coming years.
On January 15, 1871, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army at the time, General
Agustín Morales
Pedro Agustín Morales Hernández (11 March 1808 – 27 November 1872) was a Bolivian military officer who served as the 16th president of Bolivia from 1871 and 1872.
Early years
Morales was born in La Paz. Originally a supporter of Pr ...
, along with the support of the people of La Paz, tired of the president's despotic actions for almost seven years, rose up against Melgarejo and deposed him. With the people having risen against Melgarejo, a bloody battle ens