Joaquim Rodrigues Torres, the Viscount of Itaboraí (13 December 1802 – 8 January 1872) was a Brazilian politician and

monarchist Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. C ...

during the period of the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and Uruguay until the latter achieved independence in 1828. The empire's government was a Representative democracy, representative Par ...

(1822–1889). He was the country's

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

from 1868 to 1870.

Biography

Born in 1802 to Manuel José Rodrigues Torres and Emerenciana Matilde Torres, he received his basic education in Rio de Janeiro and later travelled to Portugal, where he graduated in mathematics at the

University of Coimbra The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...

in 1825. Upon returning to Brazil the following year, he was hired as a surrogate teacher at the Royal Military Academy. He returned to Europe in 1827, improved his education in Paris until 1829, and then returned to Brazil, where he worked as a teacher until 1833. As a member of the Liberal Party, Torres founded the ''Independente'', a short-lived newspaper. On 16 July 1831, he became a minister of the

Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...

. Torres was a general deputy at the 3rd legislature for Rio de Janeiro and the first president of the Rio de Janeiro Province, a post under which, among other things, he established the province's capital at Vila Real da Praia Grande (renamed

Niterói Niterói () is a List of municipalities in Rio de Janeiro, municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast Region, Brazil, southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay, facing the city of Rio de ...

the following year) and created the Police Guard (present-day Military Police of Rio de Janeiro). In 1837, he shifted to the Conservative Party. Throughout his life, he held several other posts, including Minister of Economy, State advisor,

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

from 1844 to 1872, and two-time president of the

Bank of Brazil Banco do Brasil S.A. (, ) is a Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Brasília, Brazil. The oldest bank in Brazil, and among the oldest banks in continuous operation in the world, it was founded by John VI, King of Portugal, on ...

. He was appointed a Viscount on 11 December 1854. He opposed the Rio Branco Law before its promulgation. 1802 births 1872 deaths Prime ministers of Brazil Ministers of finance of Brazil Brazilian monarchists Brazilian nobility People from Itaboraí {{Brazil-noble-stub