Juan José
Flores was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on June 19, 1801, the
illegitimate son of a rich Spanish merchant and Rita Flores. His father
returned to Europe, and young Flores grew up in great poverty. He worked for a
while in a Spanish military hospital and at the age of 14 enlisted in the army.
When, as a sergeant, he was taken prisoner on Oct. 31, 1817, he joined the
patriot army of Simón Bolívar. For his role in the victory of Carabobo (1821)
Bolívar promoted Flores to lieutenant colonel. By 1824 he was a colonel and
governor of the province of Pasto. Soon
after, Flores was appointed intendant of Quito. He retained this position until
1830, extending his authority over all of present-day Ecuador. As second in
command under Gen. Antonio José de Sucre, he took part in the battle of Tarqui
(Feb. 27, 1829), in which an invading Peruvian army was defeated. Flores was
then promoted to general of division. He died on board the steamer that was
carrying him back to Guayaquil on Oct. 1, 1864.
President of
Ecuador
Left
without rivals in Ecuador, where his position was strengthened by his marriage
to a member of the aristocracy, Doña Mercedes Jijón, Flores convoked an
assembly in Quito, which on May 13, 1830, declared the independence of Ecuador.
A few months later, at the age of 29, he was elected its president for a 4-year
term. The first presidency of Flores was
marked by his efforts to organize the republic. He was able to maintain himself
with the backing of his Venezuelan troops and with the political support of the
majority of the ruling class. However, a Liberal revolt broke out in Quito
while Flores was on the coast facing an invasion by revolutionaries. The leader
of the latter, Vicente Rocafuerte, fell into his hands. Showing his great
political acumen and considering the important social connections of his
prisoner in Guayaquil, Flores offered him the presidency. Rocafuerte accepted,
and with the coastal region solidly under his control, Flores defeated the
revolutionaries of Quito at Miñarica on Jan. 18, 1835. During Rocafuerte's presidency Flores
remained commander in chief of the army. He succeeded him for a second term in
1839, Rocafuerte moving to the politically very important post of governor of
Guayaquil. Rocafuerte expected to continue alternating with Flores in the
presidency, but the general decided to get himself reelected in 1843. A
widespread revolt inspired by Rocafuerte forced a confrontation, and unable to
reestablish his authority over the country, Flores signed an agreement with his
opponents which guaranteed the safety of his family, his property, and his rank
while in exile.
Exile and
Return
Flores
went to Europe, but when the new government rescinded the agreement, the
general organized an expedition with the financial backing of the queen mother
of Spain. The plan failed when the English government embargoed his ships.
Flores then returned to his native country and spent several years in various
Spanish American countries. An attempted invasion of Ecuador in 1852 was
defeated by his erstwhile protégé Gen. José María Urbina.
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