Manuel Antonio Blas Sáenz (b. around 1800 in Rivas) was a Nicaraguan politician who served as acting Supreme Director of Nicaragua from February 13 to April 4, 1845. From January 20 to February 13, he served as provisional Supreme Director based in the city of

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 ...

, against the government of Silvestre Selva.

Biography

Early Political Career

In July 1842 Sáenz engaged with Dionisio Zapata in border negotiations with

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. In 1843 Sáenz became a Senator in the Legislative Assembly, under Supreme Director Pablo Buitrago y Benavente, and initiated the law to found the first national newspaper in Nicaragua called ''"Registro Oficial"''.

Malespín's War

Silvestre Selva was appointed by the invading forces led by

Francisco Malespín Francisco Malespín Herrera (1806 – 25 November 1846) was a Salvadoran military officer and politician, elected as the president of El Salvador in 1844. He served from 7 February 1844 to 15 February 1845, when he was deposed by his vice presi ...

, as Supreme Director of Nicaragua. Sáenz and

José León Sandoval José León Sandoval de la Cerda (1789 – 1854) was a Nicaraguan politician, member of the short lived centrist Republican Party, who served as 4th Supreme Director of Nicaragua from 4 April 1845 to 12 March 1847. A mestizo descendant of the c ...

declared

the seat of government in early 1845 and formed a counter-government, where Sáenz was formally declared Supreme Director in January 20 of that year. On January 24, Malespín entered a long-besieged León, and his troops massacred it. He later returned to El Salvador where he was soon overthrown by

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 ...

and Fermín Palacios on February 15. Selva was able to escape from León after Malespín was overthrown.Justin Wolfe
The everyday nation-state: community & ethnicity in nineteenth-century Nicaragua
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After the War

The commander of the ''"Ejército Protector de Paz"'', the name of the army originally led by Malespín,

José Trinidad Muñoz José Trinidad Muñoz (1790 – 18 August 1855) was a Nicaraguan military general who served as the ''de facto'' military leader of Nicaragua in 1845, and again from 1847 to 1855, preceded by Casto Fonseca. Background Muñoz was the son of ...

, was resigned to the governorship of León and Sáenz broke the peace treaty dictated by Malespín on March 3, 1845. In his speech at the opening of Parliament on March 10, Sáenz called for a nationwide unity to be formed which would bring international respect, internal security, credibility and common understanding.

References

Presidents of Nicaragua 19th-century Nicaraguan people {{DEFAULTSORT:Blas Antonio, Manuel Sáenz