Jose Maria San Martín y Fugón (29 March 1811 – 12 August 1857) was a Central American military officer and politician who served as president of El Salvador in 1852, and again from 1854 – 1856.

Early life

Born to a Creole family in

Nacaome Nacaome, with a population of 21,310 (2023 calculation), is the capital city of the Valle department of Honduras and the municipal seat of Nacaome Municipality. It is a manufacturing and commercial center located on the banks of the Nacaome Rive ...

, Honduras, was the son of Joaquina Fugón and the conservative politician Joaquín de San Martin y Ulloa, who was also the head of El Salvador. As a child, his family moved to the city of Chalatenango, El Salvador. He studied philosophy at the

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala The Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC, ''University of San Carlos of Guatemala'') is the largest and oldest university of Guatemala; it is also the fourth founded in the Americas. Established in the Kingdom of Guatemala during the Spa ...

but did not graduate. Instead he returned to El Salvador in 1829 where he later married Isabel García de Machón.

Political career

In 1832 he became a

deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

in the parliament of the Province of El Salvador. In 1832 he was elected deputy of El Salvador. In 1834 he joined the army, the same date Joaquín de San Martin declared the separation of the state of El Salvador from the Federal Republic of Central America. Francisco Morazán, who then ruled the Federal Republic, sent troops to attack Joaquín de San Martín at the Jiboa River on June of 1834. After Morazán's victory, the San Martin family was exiled to Mexico. José returned to El Salvador in 1840 and was drafted into the state army with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1842, he led an armed uprising against General Francisco Malespin, the military leader of the state. This rebellion failed and San Martin was exiled to Honduras. He returned to El Salvador in 1845. On May 16, 1846, President

Eugenio Aguilar Eugenio Aguilar González (15 November 1804 – 23 April 1879) was a Salvadoran politician who served as president of El Salvador from 1846 to 1848. He also served as the mayor of San Salvador in 1839 and 1864, and the president of the Legisla ...

appointed him

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

and, at the same time, Minister of Defense. San Martin served until September 19, 1847. Elected senator in 1850, he was chairman of the convocation (1851-1853). He served as provisional president of the country from January 30 to February 1, 1852. At the end of 1853, he was elected president of El Salvador, and took office on February 15, 1854. On April 16, 1854, an earthquake completely destroyed the city 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 ...

.Contreras, Callejas J. J, Cea C. M. Alvarado, and Angela M. Alvarado. Santa Tecla: Cronología. San Salvador, El Salvador: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 2004. Print. A commission had been made by the government on April 27, 1854, to identify a suitable relocation site for the city. On May 8, 1854 president San Martín traveled out of Cojutepeque in order to inspect the recommended site but it failed to meet his standards for the city. As a result, he created a new commission made up of several engineers and on June 4 they chose Santa Tecla. On 14 February 1855, he decreed the creation of the department of Chalatenango. Isidro Menéndez instructed applicable laws of El Salvador to begin. Compared with the conservative government of

José Rafael Carrera Turcios 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 ...

in Guatemala, behaved peacefully. In the cabinet of his successor in office of President, Rafael Campo, José María San Martín in 1856 was minister of war.

Death

On August 12, 1857, San Martin died from cholera morbus on his ranch, San Cristóbal. The contagion had been spread by soldiers returning from Nicaragua with Gerardo Barrios, who had disobeyed orders from president Campo to stay in Nicaragua.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:San Martin, Jose Maria 1811 births 1857 deaths People from Nacaome Salvadoran people of Spanish descent Presidents of El Salvador Finance ministers of El Salvador Defence ministers of El Salvador Deaths from cholera Infectious disease deaths in El Salvador Salvadoran military personnel Members of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador Presidents of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador