José Gregorio Salazar y Castro (1773 – 1 February 1838) was a general and a Liberal politician in Central America. He was acting president of the

Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America ( es, República Federal de Centroamérica), originally named the United Provinces of Central America ( es, Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), and sometimes simply called Central America, in it ...

from September 16, 1834 to February 14, 1835, in between two administrations of

Francisco Morazán José Francisco Morazán Quesada (; born October 3, 1792 – September 15, 1842) was a Central American politician who served as president of the Federal Republic of Central America from 1830 to 1839. Before he was president of Central America h ...

. In 1838 he was assassinated by a mob supporting rebel General

Rafael Carrera José Rafael Carrera y Turcios (24 October 1814 – 14 April 1865) was the president of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865, after being appointed President for life in 1854. During his military career and presiden ...

. Salazar's parents were Gregorio Salazar and Francisca Lara Mogrovejo. He married Francisca Castro y Lara. Their son, General Carlos Salazar, served briefly as provisional president of the state of El Salvador, from June 23 to July 13, 1834.

Political offices

He held various offices in Central America, including councilman in the city government of Guatemala City and mayor in 1825; political chief of the departments of Guatemala (1825) and

Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala. The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It m ...

(1830); commander of the ''Escuadrón Sedentario'' of Guatemala City (1831); and vice-chief of the State of Guatemala (1834 and 1838). He was vice president of the Central American Federation in 1834 when President Morazán temporarily relinquished his duties to take the field to fight rebels. He served as acting president from September 16, 1834 to February 14, 1835, when Morazán resumed the office.

Political crisis in El Salvador

On June 23, 1834 his son, Carlos Salazar, a partisan of General Morazán, overthrew the conservative president of the state of El Salvador, Joaquín de San Martín, and took power as provisional chief of the state. The federal government, in the hands of the Liberals, took over direct control of El Salvador on July 13, 1834. José Gregorio Salazar (the father) ruled the state as provisional chief from that date to September 30, 1834. On September 21, 1834 the Assembly of the state of El Salvador met in San Vicente, charged with electing a new state president. They chose Licenciado

José María Silva Licenciado José María Silva (c. 1804, San Miguel, El Salvador – October 16, 1876, San Miguel) was a Liberal Salvadoran politician. He was twice briefly chief of state of the State of El Salvador, within the Federal Republic of Central Amer ...

, a Liberal, but this vote was declared void. On September 30 they voted to give the office to Councilor Joaquín Escolán. Escolán served from that date to October 14, when Silva took office, until April 10, 1835.

Death

On February 1, 1838, rebel

took Guatemala City, capital of the federation. His troops, mountain dwellers from

Mataquescuintla Mataquescuintla (from Nahuatl, meaning ''net to catch dogs'') is a town and municipality in the Jalapa department of south-east Guatemala. It covers . Mataquescuintla played a significant role during the first half of the nineteenth century, when ...

, ran wild in the city, committing many kinds of depredations. Salazar was vice president of the republic at the time. He and his family took refuge in the house of a friend, Doctor Quirino Flores. Salazar was killed, with a child in his arms, trying to defend his family.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salazar, Jose Gregorio 1773 births 1838 deaths People from San Salvador Salvadoran politicians Heads of state of the Federal Republic of Central America