Francisco Malespín Herrera (1806 – 25 November 1846) was a Salvadoran military officer and politician, elected as the

president of El Salvador President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

in 1844. He served from 7 February 1844 to 15 February 1845, when he was deposed by his vice president

Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán (15 February 1801 – 1875) was a Central American politician and military general who served as acting President of El Salvador on three occasions: from 25 October 1844 to 16 February 1845, from 25 April 1845 to 1 Febru ...

after invading and overthrowing the liberal government in Nicaragua. He also led El Salvador to a short unsuccessful war against Guatemala. After being deposed, Malespin returned to El Salvador with forces from Honduras, but he was captured and assassinated. Some of Malespin's closest allies were

Francisco Ferrera Francisco Ferrera (29 January 1794 – 10 April 1851) was a president of Honduras. He was born in San Juan de Flores, Honduras. Ferrera joined the guerrerista campaigns of General Francisco Morazán and participated brilliantly in the battle ...

in Honduras as well as Juan Lindo, both conservatives. He was supported by Honduras after his downfall. Like many other conservatives, Malespín opposed

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

, a prominent liberal politician, who opposed dissolving the

Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America (), initially known as the United Provinces of Central America (), was a sovereign state in Central America that existed between 1823 and 1839/1841. The republic was composed of five states (Costa Rica ...

Biography

Francisco Malespin was born on 28 September 1806 in

Izalco Izalco () is a town and a municipality in the Sonsonate department of El Salvador. Volcan Izalco is an icon of the country of El Salvador, a very young volcano on the flank of Santa Ana volcano. From when it was born in 1770 until 1966, it wa ...

, Intendancy of San Salvador. Francisco Malespín Herrera was the son of the marriage composed by Juan Malespín and Luisa Herrera and Rodríguez, who were domiciled in San Salvador in 1824. During the Central American Civil War (1826 - 1829), he was still young, he distinguished himself in the Battle of Mexico in 1828 and in the seizure of the Fortress of San Fernando de Omoa in Honduras in 1832.

Definitive annihilation of the State of Los Altos

Malespín stood out as the leader of the Conservative party and collaborated with General Rafael Carrera in

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

in his battles against Francisco Morazán and the liberal Creoles of the State of Los Altos. When General Agustín Guzmán arrived in

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

with the news that Morazán had triumphed in the city of Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción on 19 March 1840, the liberal Creole elite of the city declared the State of Los Altos in force again. Agustín whom Morazán had released from

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

that night - did not know that Carrera had made Morazán think that he had obtained the triumph and then had crushed his forces.Carrera then sent Malespín to warn the Quiché and Cakchiquel communities to prepare again to fight the Quetzaltecos Creoles, and then left for Quetzaltenango determined to excite the Altes liberals; upon hearing this news, most of the members of the council fled and the few who remained wanted to retract and apologize for having tried to, but while the indigenous people of the region were chasing the Creoles who fled, Carrera arrested the members of the council who had stayed and then sent them to be shot, despite the claims of the Altense population who murmured "Massacre! Massacre!" As a result, the liberal Creoles were weakened and diminished, and the capital conservatives frightened; for their part, the indigenous populations of Quetzaltenango realized that they had a strong ally in Carrera.

President of El Salvador

With Morazán defeated, Carrera and his army entered

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

and imposed a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

regime, with Malespín as

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

of the State Arms and Jorge de Viteri y Ungo - a Guatemalan priest member of the ultra-conservative Aycinena Clan of Guatemala - as parish priest of

San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...

. With the support of

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. He ruled during the establishment of ne ...

and

, Malespín powerfully influenced the successive governments of

Norberto Ramírez Norberto Ramírez Áreas (15 April 1802, León, Nicaragua – 11 July 1856, León, Nicaragua) was a Nicaraguan lawyer and politician who served as acting Supreme Chief of El Salvador (20 September 1840 – 7 January 1841), still technically a p ...

, Juan Lindo,

José Escolástico Marín General José Escolástico Marín (d. November 11, 1846) was born in San Vicente. He was acting president of El Salvador from 1 February to 12 April and from 19 July to 26 September 1842. He was killed in action while fighting against the gover ...

Juan José Guzmán General Juan José Guzmán (July 1797, La Unión – 19 October 1847) was the first President of El Salvador from 14 April 1842 to 1 February 1844. He died on 19 October 1847 aged 50. Presidency Guzman was the first President of El Salvador ...

and Fermín Palacios. In 1842 his godfather, the priest Jorge de Viteri y Ungo, visited the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

where he managed to establish a diocese for El Salvador - which was created for him by

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI (; ; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in June 1846. He had adopted the name Mauro upon enteri ...

through the Bull Universalis Ecclesia Procuratio on 28 September 1842, also elevating its parish to the rank of cathedral, known until then as El Sagrario Parish. On 28 January 1843, Viteri y Ungo was elected as the first Bishop of

, being consecrated the following day. On 25 September, he arrived in the city of San Salvador to take office and support his godson Malespín. On 7 February 1844, Fermín Palacios handed over the Presidency to General Malespín, who had been elected President of the Republic, for the constitutional period 1844 to 1846. As a representative of the conservatives, Malespín agreed with the Legislative Assembly to decree the restoration of the jurisdiction ecclesiastical to the Salvadoran Clergy, annulling the law of 26 August 1830 that had abolished said jurisdiction and that was issued during the government of the liberal José Damián Villacorta. On 25 October 1844, allied with the Honduran government in its fight against the Nicaraguan government, Malespín handed over the Presidency of the Republic to his vice president, General Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán, and the Army Command to Calixto Malespín, his brother. Then he marched towards Nicaragua and in 1845 he occupied the city of León. Where he is remembered for his fondness for rum and his volatile character that caused excesses of his troops that burned down the city and looted the sacred objects of its churches. But on 15 February 1845, despite returning "victorious" from the campaign in Nicaragua, the Army ignored him and the Legislative Power declared his election as President of the Republic void, and he was replaced by Vice President Guzmán; In addition, due to the abuses committed - to which was added the execution of the priest Dionisio Urcuyo y Crespín - Bishop Viteri y Ungo excommunicated him on 23 February 1845 in the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

of San Salvador. Malespín fled to

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

. where he received protection from

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Coronado Chávez.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malespin, Francisco Presidents of El Salvador 1806 births 1846 deaths People from Sonsonate Department Leaders ousted by a coup Salvadoran military personnel