Francisco Esteban Gómez ( Santa Ana, December 26, 1783 – La Asunción, August 6, 1853 ) was a

Venezuelan Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

military officer who was active in the

Venezuelan War of Independence The Venezuelan War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de Venezuela, links=no, 1810–1823) was one of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early nineteenth century, when independence movements in Latin America fought agai ...

. Known as the “patriot commander” of Margarita Island, he was noted for his participation in the defense of the island against invading Spanish forces. In particular, he is honored today as the hero of the

Battle of Matasiete A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

(1817). He started his career as a military officer and achieved the ranks of colonel, then general, major general of the army, and commanded the arms of the province of

Cumaná Cumaná () is the capital city of Venezuela's Sucre State. It is located east of Caracas. Cumaná was one of the first cities founded by Spain in the mainland Americas and is the oldest continuously-inhabited Hispanic-established city in South ...

. He represented Margarita at the

Congress of Cucuta A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ad ...

, and was Governor of Margarita Island (1817-1820).

Early life

Gomez was born on December 26, 1783, in Villa Norte (Santa Ana) in the Province of Margarita to Maria Concepcion Gomez. He was baptized at the place of his birth by Father Garcia Migi Fco. He got married in the church of Santa Ana.

Career

Gomez joined the independence movement on May 4, 1810, and this participation invited his persecution by the government which resulted in his staying incognito on the island, in 1812. He accompanied General

Juan Bautista Arismendi Juan Bautista Arismendi (March 15, 1775 – June 22, 1841) was a Venezuelan patriot and general of the Venezuelan War of Independence. He is buried in the National Pantheon of Venezuela. Arismendi was born in La Asuncion, Isla Margarita in 1775 ...

in the second insurrection of Margarita Island. This resulted in his arrest in 1815. He was associated with the peace treaty of April 15, 1815 and sided with Arismendi, on November 16, 1815, in the revolt. On May 8, 1816,

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

promoted him to colonel. During the July 31, 1817

, he fought against General

Pablo Morillo Pablo Morillo y Morillo, Count of Cartagena and Marquess of La Puerta, a.k.a. ''El Pacificador'' (The Peace Maker) (5 May 1775 – 27 July 1837) was a Spanish general. Biography Morillo was born in Fuentesecas, Zamora, Spain. In 1791 ...

. He published the manifesto titled "Great Nations and Generous World" on June 23, 1817. On July 31, 1817, he was promoted as Brigadier General for the successful war campaign of the Battle of Matasiete. In 1830,

José Antonio Páez José Antonio Páez Herrera (; 13 June 1790 – 6 May 1873) was a Venezuelan leader who fought against the Spanish Crown for Simón Bolívar during the Venezuelan War of Independence. He later led Venezuela's independence from Gran Colombia. H ...

made Gomez commander-in weapons of

Maracaibo ) , motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal") , anthem = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_alt = ...

. In 1835, the constitutional president of Venezuela,

José María Vargas José María Vargas Ponce (10 March 1786, in La Guaira – 13 April 1854, in New York City) was the president of Venezuela from 1835 to 1836. Vargas was Venezuela's first civilian president. He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the S ...

, entrusted Gomez with the Command of Arms of the province of

. In 1837, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Cumaná, Margarita and Barcelona. In 1847 he sought and obtained a certificate as an invalid, but he was reappointed Governor of Margarita in 1853. He died the same year in the building that was the Franciscan Convent of La Asunción

Legacy

As directed by the President of Venezuela, on February 11, 1876, his mortal remains were transferred to a

funerary urn An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...

in the

Catedral Nuestra Señora de La Asunción Catedral may refer to: * Catedral (Buenos Aires Underground), a station * Catedral (district), a district of the San José canton, in the San José province of Costa Rica * Cerro Catedral, a mountain and ski resort in Argentina * Cerro Catedral (U ...

. On July 18, 1880, the urn containing his mortal remains was shifted to Caracas. It was then interred in the National Pantheon of Venezuela on August 20, 1880.

Gómez Municipality, Nueva Esparta Gómez (frequently anglicized as Gomez) is a common Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Gome". The Portuguese and Old Galician version is Gomes, while the Catalan form is Gomis. The given name ''Gome'' is derived from the Visigothic word ...

, birthplace of the victorious general, is named in his honor. The Plaza Francisco Esteban Gomez in Santa Ana honors him with his statue as the hero of the Battle of Matasiere, while his home, located close by, is conserved as a museum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomez, Francisco Esteban 1783 births 1853 deaths People from Nueva Esparta Venezuelan military personnel 19th-century Venezuelan people Governors of Nueva Esparta Candidates for President of Venezuela