Venancio Flores Barrios (18 May 1808 – 19 February 1868) was a Uruguayan political leader and general. Flores was

President of Uruguay The president of Uruguay ( es, Presidente del Uruguay), officially known as the president of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (), is the head of state and head of government of Uruguay. Their rights are determined in the Constitution of Urugua ...

from 1854 to 1855 (interim) and from 1865 to 1868.

Background and early career

In 1839, he was made political chief of the department of San José. He fought in the "Guerra Grande" against

Manuel Oribe Manuel Ceferino Oribe y Viana (August 26, 1792 – November 12, 1857) was the 2nd Constitutional president of Uruguay and founder of Uruguay's National Party, the oldest Uruguayan political party and considered one of the two Uruguayan "tr ...

and his Argentine backers. He became a leading figure in the Colorado Party and formed a triumvirate with Fructuoso Rivera and Juan Antonio Lavalleja in 1853.

First Presidency of Uruguay (interim)

He served as interim

and remained in power until August 1855, when overthrown by the Blanco president Manuel P. Bustamante, which resulted in civil war and Flores taking refuge in Argentina.

Civil war role

In 1863, he started a rebellion (''

Cruzada Libertadora Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

'' or liberating crusade) against the Blanco president Bernardo Berro, which led to civil war in Uruguay.Hooker, T.D., 2008, The Paraguayan War, Nottingham: Foundry Books, With Argentine and Brazilian help, by February, 1865 he had taken Montevideo, overthrowing his predecessor.

Second Presidency of Uruguay

During his rule, Flores joined Brazil and Argentina in the devastating Paraguayan War. Flores's government ended on February 15, 1868.

Assassination

Four days after stepping down as President, Flores was murdered by a group of unidentified assassins. But although Flores' killers were not formally identified, it may be added that as a background to his assassination is the intermittent Uruguayan Civil War which continued throughout much of the 19th century between '' Colorados'' and ''Blancos''.

Legacy

The Flores Department was named in his honor by a later Colorado

, Máximo Santos.