General Benjamin Zeledon image in the Coyotepe Fortress historical marker

Benjamín Francisco Zeledón Rodríguez (October 4, 1879 – October 4, 1912) was a Nicaraguan

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...

known under the posthumous title of "National Hero of Nicaragua". He was born on 4 October 1879 in

Jinotega Department Jinotega () is a department of Nicaragua. Its departmental head is Jinotega. It is located in the north of the country, on the border with Honduras. The Department of Jinotega has a population of 483,404 (2021 estimate) and covers an area of ...

to Don Marcelino Zeledón Ugarte and Doña Maria Salomé Rodriguez. After receiving a bachelor's degree in

Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa ( )—formally Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District ( or ''Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.''), and colloquially referred to as ''Tegus'' or ''Teguz''—is the capital and largest city of Honduras along with its sister city, Comaya ...

, he returned to Nicaragua in 1900 and received a law degree in 1903. In 1905 he married Esther Ramírez Jerez. He was promoted to colonel on 9 Aug. 1907 after the Battle of Namasigüe.Coyotepe Fortress historical marker

Liberal-Conservative Revolution 1912

He was one of the leaders of an uprising against President

Adolfo Díaz Adolfo Díaz Recinos (15 July 1875 in Alajuela, Costa Rica – 29 January 1964 in San José, Costa Rica) served as the President of Nicaragua between 9 May 1911 and 1 January 1917 and again between 14 November 1926 and 1 January 1929. Born in C ...

. His

rebel A rebel is a participant in a rebellion. Rebel or rebels may also refer to: People * Rebel (given name) * Rebel (surname) * Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution * American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...

forces opened fire on American Marines and

sailors A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

Masaya Masaya () is the capital city of Masaya Department in Nicaragua. It is situated approximately 14 km west of Granada, Nicaragua, Granada and 31 km southeast of Managua. It is located just east of the Masaya Volcano, an active volcano ...

on September 19, 1912. After the surrender of General Luis Mena on September 23, Zeledón assumed the supreme command of the Revolution thus became Supreme Leader of the Government in rebellion. He was killed during the Battle of Coyotepe Hill, when United States Marines recaptured Fort Coyotepe and the city of Masaya from rebels. His body was carried on an oxcart by the Marines to be buried in Catarina. This image greatly impacted future Nicaraguan revolutionary

Augusto César Sandino Augusto César Sandino (; 18 May 1895 21 February 1934), full name Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino, was a Nicaraguan revolutionary, founder of the militant group EDSN, and leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the United Sta ...

External links

The letters of Benjamín Zeledón, written before his death in combat (Spanish)

(''La Prensa'' article, October 4, 2002) (Spanish)]
''El general Benjamín Zeledón'', by Augusto César Sandino (Spanish)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeledon, Benjamin 1879 births 1912 deaths Nicaraguan military personnel Presidents of Nicaragua People from Jinotega Department Defense ministers of Nicaragua People of the Banana Wars National Heroines and Heroes of Nicaragua