Sebastián Ágreda (1795 – 18 December 1875) was Bolivian military officer and statesman who served as the seventh
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 ...
for 29 days in 1841. In addition to his short term as president, he also held a number of other governmental roles as well as being a prominent figure in the Bolivian military.
Early life and military career
Ágreda was born in Potosí, Bolivia in 1795, from a very young age, he enlisted in the armies of General
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and centr ...
. He participated in the
battles of Chacabuco and
Maipú.
Ágreda had fought in the battles of
Junin and
Ayacucho
Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru.
During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it c ...
under
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ( en, "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho"), was a Venezuelan independence leader who served as the president of Peru and as the second p ...
, for which the Grand Marshal rewarded him as commander of the Military College in
Chuquisaca. Later still, he was appointed commander of the Army by
Andrés de Santa Cruz, and was considered a national hero for heading the Bolivian forces that routed
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
at the
Battle of Montenegro in 1838.
Later, in the division of General
Guillermo Miller, he fought in the battles of Junín and Ayacucho under the command of Antonio José de Sucre. In 1826 he was appointed by Sucre as second head of the Military College until 1828. He fought in the main battles of the campaigns of Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz in Peru.
He was War Minister of Marshal Santa Cruz. Later he fought in the
Battle of Montenegro. For his merits in this battle he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary in Lima.
Presidency
A loyal supporter of the Grand Marshal, in June 1841 General Ágreda succeeded in removing Gen.
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 ...
from power, installing himself as ''de facto'' ruler pending the return of Santa Cruz. He only controlled portions of the Army and, moreover, faced the opposition of the venerated members of Congress, with whom he had clashed since they insisted on naming one of their now to the post of Provisional President.
After only a month in power, he agreed to leave provided Congress name a pro-Santa Cruz Provisional President until Santa Cruz himself could return to rule. This done, he left the Government Palace, and remained a respected war hero. Indeed, he became an elder statesman of sorts, serving as ambassador abroad and member of the Cabinet under
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 ...
, and Prefect of
La Paz and
Chuquisaca in his latter years (chiefly in the administrations of
Jorge Córdova
Jorge Córdova (23 April 1822, in La Paz – 23 October 1861) was a Bolivian general and politician who served as the 12th president of Bolivia from 1855 to 1857.
Early life
Childhood
Jorge Córdova was born on April 23, 1822, in the cit ...
and
José María Achá). He died at the age of 80 in
La Paz.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agreda, Sebastian
1795 births
1875 deaths
19th-century Bolivian politicians
Achá administration cabinet members
Bolivian generals
Defense ministers of Bolivia
Leaders who took power by coup
People from Potosí
People of the Chilean War of Independence
People of the Peruvian War of Independence
People of the War of the Confederation
Presidents of Bolivia