León de Febres Cordero y Oberto ( Los Puertos de Altagracia,

Captaincy General of Venezuela The Captaincy General of Venezuela (), was an administrative district of colonial Spain, created on September 8, 1777, through the Royal Decree of Graces of 1777, to provide more autonomy for the provinces of Venezuela, previously under the ju ...

, 28 June 1797 - Mérida,

United States of Venezuela The United States of Venezuela () was the official name of Venezuela, which adopted in its 1864 constitution under the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón government. This remained the official name until 1953, when the constitution of that year renamed ...

, 7 July 1872) was a Venezuelan Conservative general and politician who participated in the

Spanish American wars of independence The Spanish American wars of independence () took place across the Spanish Empire during the early 19th century. The struggles in both hemispheres began shortly after the outbreak of the Peninsular War, forming part of the broader context of the ...

(1812–1824), the

Gran Colombia–Peru War The Gran Colombian–Peruvian War () of 1828 and 1829 was the first international conflict fought by the Republic of Peru, which had gained its independence from Spain in 1821, and Gran Colombia, that existed between 1819 and 1830. Causes Th ...

(1829), the Revolution of the Reforms (1835–1836) and the

Federal War The Federal War () — also known as the Great War or the 5 Year War — was a civil war in Venezuela between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over government positions and land ownership, an ...

(1859–1863).

Biography

After serving the Spanish Empire as a soldier, he participated in the 1820 October 9 Revolution which led to the independence of Guayaquil from Spain. Later, he fought in various battles of the liberation campaigns in different places in South America. He also held several minor political positions in various localities, until he served as a deputy to the Congress of

Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...

. At the beginning of 1829 he was Chief of Staff of the Colombian Army. On 27 February he initiated the "Thirty Days Campaign" in the

which culminated in the victory of the

Battle of Tarqui The Battle of Tarqui, also known as the Battle of Portete de Tarqui, took place on 27 February 1829 at Tarqui, near Cuenca, today part of Ecuador. It was fought between troops from Gran Colombia, commanded by Antonio José de Sucre, and Peruvia ...

. Promoted to Division General, he attended the negotiations which led to the Treaty of Girón. Together with General

José Antonio Páez José Antonio Páez Herrera (; 13 June 1790 – 6 May 1873) was a Venezuelan politician and military officer who served as the president of Venezuela three times. The first as the 5th president from 1830 to 1835, the second as the 8th president ...

he fought against the Revolution of the Reforms of 1835, and conquered the Castillo San Felipe in

Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello () is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State, about 210 km west of Caracas. As of 2011, the city had a population of around 182,400. The city is home to the largest and busiest port in the count ...

, which put an end to the revolt on 1 March 1836. Army commander of

Maracaibo Maracaibo ( , ; ) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the largest city in Venezuela and is List of cities in Venezuela by population ...

in 1842 and 1848, he rose up with General Páez against the Government of General

José Tadeo Monagas José Tadeo Monagas Burgos (28 October 1784 – 18 November 1868) was the president of Venezuela 1847–1851 and 1855–1858, and a hero of the Venezuelan War of Independence. Career Presidency In 1846, to head off the challenge from the Libe ...

but they were defeated in the Venezuelan civil war of 1848–1849. He was exiled to Curaçao and went from there to Peru where he remained for eight years. He participated in the March 1858 Revolution and when the

broke out, General Febres Cordero assumed command of the Conservative army that was first defeated in the

Battle of Santa Inés The Battle of Santa Inés was a battle in Venezuela, which occurred between December 9 and 10, 1859, during the Federal War between the Federalist forces under General Ezequiel Zamora, and the troops from Conservative government under command of G ...

(December 1859). But in February 1860, Febres Cordero defeated the Federals in the decisive

Battle of Coplé The Battle of Coplé was a battle in Venezuela, which occurred on 17 February 1860, during the Federal War between the Federalist forces under General Juan Crisóstomo Falcón, and the troops from Conservative government under command of General L ...

. On 31 October 1863, he resigned from military command and settled in Mérida with his family. He would not intervene in politics again. He lived in the greatest poverty and died on 7 July 1872, aged seventy-five. In 1942 his remains were buried in the

National Pantheon of Venezuela The National Pantheon of Venezuela (''Panteón Nacional de Venezuela'') is a final resting place for national heroes. The Pantheon (Latin ''Pantheon'', from Greek ''Pantheon,'' meaning " Temple of all the Gods") was created in the 1870s on the ...

Sources

Pérez Pimentel, Rodolfo. «FEBRES CORDERO Y OBERTO LEON». Diccionario Biográfico Ecuador. Guayaquil.

Avilés Pino, Efrén: Enciclopedia del Ecuador – Febres-Cordero Crnel. León de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Febres Cordero, León de 1797 births 1872 deaths People from Zulia Viceroyalty of New Granada people People of the Venezuelan War of Independence People of the Federal War Venezuelan soldiers Exiled Venezuelan politicians Conservative Party (Venezuela) politicians Burials at the National Pantheon of Venezuela