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