Manuel Francisco Pavón Aycinena (January 30, 1798 – April 19, 1855) was a conservative Guatemalan politician during the regime of General

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 ...

. He was influential in the founding of the government's executive branch and held several Cabinet offices during his career.

Biography

Pavón Aycinena attended the Pontifical University of San Carlos Borromeo and participated in the war against

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 ...

under the command of the Governor of Guatemala,

Mariano de Aycinena y Piñol Mariano is a masculine name from the Romance languages, corresponding to the feminine Mariana. It is an Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variant of the Roman Marianus which derived from Marius, and Marius derived from the Roman god Mars (see als ...

as Lieutenant Colonel in the army. After his defeat, Aycinena was banished by Morazan. In his exile, Aycinena lived in

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. He returned to Guatemala in 1837 when

came to power.

Role in Rafael Carrera's government

Carrera Theater

On August 6, 1832, Guatemalan Governor

Mariano Gálvez José Felipe Mariano Gálvez ( – March 29, 1862 in Mexico) was a jurist and Liberal politician in Guatemala. For two consecutive terms from August 28, 1831, to March 3, 1838, he was chief of state of the State of Guatemala, within the Federal ...

issued a decree to build a theater in the middle of Plaza Vieja. However, due to ongoing political turmoil, this theater was not constructed during Galvez's rule. In 1852, Juan Matheu and Pavón Aycinena presented

with a plan to build the Carrera Theater.

Carrera declared President for life

Shortly after Carrera became President in 1851, Pavón Aycinena began suffering from intestinal problems. On May 5, 1853, he became so ill that was put in a

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

, though he briefly recovered. On October 25, 1854, at the initiative of Pavón Aycinena, Carrera was declared "supreme and perpetual leader of the nation" for life, with the power to choose his successor; Carrera served as President of Guatemala until he died on April 14, 1865.

Death

In February 1855, while Pavón Aycinena was traveling in

Escuintla Escuintla () is an industrial city in Guatemala, its land extension is 4,384 km2, and it is nationally known for its sugar agribusiness. Its capital is a municipality with the same name. Citizens celebrate from December 6 to 9 with a small f ...

, his health rapidly declined. He returned to

Guatemala City Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...

on March 17, and on April 15, a priest was called to perform Pavón's

Last Rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. The Commendation of the Dying is practiced in liturgical Chri ...

. Pavón Aycinena named his cousins Pedro de Aycinena and

Luis Batres Juarros Luis Batres Juarros or Luis Batres y Juarros ( New Guatemala de la Asunción 7 May 1802 – 17 June 1862) was an influential conservative Guatemalan politician during the regime of General Rafael Carrera. Member of the Aycinena clan, was in c ...

executor An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, is sometimes used. Executor of will An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker o ...

s of his will. Pavón Aycinena died in his home on April 19, 1855, surrounded by his relatives and important ecclesiastic figures. His funeral service took place in the

Cathedral of Guatemala City The Holy Church Cathedral Metropolitan Basilica of Santiago de Guatemala also Metropolitan Cathedral, officially Catedral Primada Metropolitana de Santiago, is the main church of Guatemala City and of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guatemala, ...

and he was buried in La Merced Church. On May 7, 1855, Carrera commanded that a portrait of Pavón Aycinena be placed in the main room of the Presidential Palace. Carrera also granted Pavón Aycinena's widow a lifelong pension equivalent to half of her deceased husband's income, —the largest pension ever granted in Guatemala up to that point.

Notes and references

References

Bibliography

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Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavon Aycinena, Manuel Francisco 1798 births 1855 deaths Rafael Carrera Politicians from Guatemala City Conservatism in Guatemala Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala alumni 19th-century Guatemalan people Aycinena family People from New Spain