José Gerardo Barrios Espinoza (September/October 1813 – 29 August 1865) was a Salvadoran military officer and politician who served as president of El Salvador on three occasions between June 1858 and his overthrow in October 1863.
51-491: Ciudad Arce is a municipality in the La Libertad department of El Salvador . It is approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of the national capital, San Salvador . It is named after Manuel José Arce . This El Salvador location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Municipalities of El Salvador The municipalities of El Salvador ( Spanish : municipios ) are
102-400: A division. In October 1856, Barrios, along with General José Trinidad Cabañas (his brother-in-law through Cabañas' marriage to Barrios' sister Petronila) and José María Zelaya, began conspiring a coup d'état against President Rafael Campo . In January 1857, Campo appointed Barrios as El Salvador's minister of interior relations and was named as a designated successor to the presidency
153-473: A municipal council, which is elected by the residents and functions as the local legislative body. The head of the council, typically a mayor, oversees the executive functions within the municipality. The concept of municipalities in El Salvador dates back to colonial times, with administrative divisions that evolved over centuries. Municipalities originally developed as autonomous entities meant to address
204-620: A proposal to reduce the number of municipalities to streamline administrative efficiency and reduce bureaucratic overhead. Bukele argued that the reduction would enable more effective public service delivery by consolidating local governments and resources. The Legislative Assembly approved the proposal on 13 June 2023, reducing the number of municipalities from 262 to 44, a change that went into effect on 1 May 2024. This significant restructuring aimed to modernize local governance, with proponents claiming it would allow for better distribution of resources and improved access to public services across
255-469: A state visit to Guatemala and was replaced by Peralta as acting president. He returned to El Salvador and resumed his presidency on 7 February 1861. During his presidency, Barrios' government drafted a new constitution which allowed him to run for re-election. In 1859, Barrios rebuilt the Asunción College and reorganized its structure to be more secular and established three new universities:
306-508: Is disputed; he was born in either Cacahuatique (modern-day Ciudad Barrios ) or La Poza de la Juana (today a part of Nuevo Edén de San Juan ), and he was born on either 24 September 1813 or 3 October 1813. He was baptized on 24 October 1813. Barrios had three sisters: Petronila, María Josefa, and Onicéfora. Barrios suffered from some sort of defect and limped throughout his life. He was described as being sincere and loyal with his friends and being discreet when speaking. During his youth, Barrios
357-651: Is the first municipality established in Central America. The Spanish organized the cabildos and ayuntamientos in the cities. In the first Constitution of the State of El Salvador, the limits of each municipality were established. On September 4, 1832, the Reglament of Political Governors, Municipalities and Mayors was emitted. This reglament established limits and jurisdictions for the Departments and regulated
408-812: The Battle of Coatepeque in February 1863, the Guatemalans eventually prevailed and forced Barrios to flee the country on 26 October 1863 after the Siege of San Salvador . In his place, the Guatemalans installed Francisco Dueñas as provisional president. Barrios attempted to return to power in May 1865, but his ship was forced to dock in Nicaragua where he was arrested. He was extradited to El Salvador in August 1865 where he
459-968: The Guatemalan–Salvadoran War in the early-1850s, and the Filibuster War in the mid-1850s. As minister of internal affairs in 1857, Barrios attempted a coup d'état against President Rafael Campo but failed. Despite his attempted coup, he was appointed as minister of external affairs in January 1858 by President Miguel Santín del Castillo . When Santín left the presidency due to illness on 24 June 1858, Barrios assumed office as provisional president. Santín resumed his presidency on 17 September 1858 and appointed Barrios as minister of internal and external affairs three days later. In January 1859, Santín and Barrios both resigned from their positions and Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán , Barrios' father-in-law, became president. Eventually, Guzmán resigned and
510-476: The overthrow of President Arturo Araujo by the military in December 1931. On 11 October 1861, Barrios issued a decree which ordered all priests in the country to swear loyalty and submission to the constitution and the government. Many priests, including Tomás Miguel Pineda y Saldaña [ es ] , the archbishop of San Salvador , left the country in protest on 19 November 1861. In April 1862,
561-728: The Cooperative Society "Gerardo Barrios 29 of August". On 28 January 1927, President Pío Romero Bosque issued an executive order to rename the country's military school, established in 1868, to the Captain General Gerardo Barrios Military School (EMCGGB). The military school retained its name until it was closed and demolished in June 2022 to make way for the construction of the Estadio Nacional de El Salvador . In 1981,
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#1732781061147612-469: The First Alcalde, the parroquial priest, one Regidor, those trained in or practicing medicine or surgery and one neighbor named by the municipal council. The municipality was in charge of the statistics and public works of its jurisdiction. On December 9, 1854, the government decreed various changes for the governance of municipalities. The number of members of the municipal councils was reformed in
663-435: The Guatemalans at the Battle of Coatepeque . On 30 June 1863, Marshal Santiago González Portillo defected to the Guatemalans and declared himself as provisional president in opposition of Barrios. On 26 October 1863, after a long siege, Carrera captured San Salvador, deposing Barrios from power and forcing him to flee the country. The day Barrios was overthrown, Francisco Dueñas , a conservative exile, succeeded Barrios as
714-498: The Legislative Assembly met to choose a new president. Barrios supported Guzmán's bid for the presidency, while Santín attempted to regain his position. Ultimately, the Legislative Assembly chose Guzmán as president, and Santín and several of his supporters left the country. A few weeks into Guzmán's presidency, he retired from politics and was replaced by José María Peralta on 15 February 1859. Peralta named Barrios as
765-441: The Legislative Assembly. The municipal government is exerted by a Consejo Municipal (Municipal Council), which has the characteristics of deliberative and normative. It is integrated by an Alcalde (Mayor), one Sindico (Legal representative) and a number of proprietary Regidores (Council members) that is proportionate to the population and 4 auxiliary Regidores . The proportion of the amount of Regidores is: Members of
816-639: The Municipal Branch was issued. The Constitution of 1939 passed the election of local governments to the executive office, but in the constitutional reforms made in 1945 and in the Constitution of 1950, political autonomy was returned to the municipalities. According to Chapter I, Title IV of the Municipal Code, the requirements for the creation of a municipality are: The creation, fusion or incorporation of municipalities corresponds to
867-520: The Nicaraguan and Salvadoran governments were friendly to one another and the diplomats assured that Barrios would not be executed, he was extradited to El Salvador. Barrios was imprisoned and court-martialed by the Salvadoran government; his trial began on 10 August 1865. He was sentenced to death on 28 August 1865 at 11 p.m.; Barrios was denied the right to "settle his private affairs" and
918-559: The Normal Schools of San Miguel , San Salvador , Santa Ana . In 1860, Barrios informed the Legislative Assembly that he intended to "regenerate" the country. He described El Salvador as "backward", "destitute", and "misgoverned" upon assuming office. Barrios sought to achieve five primary goals during his presidency: promote agriculture, industry, and commerce; introduce progressive Western European ideals to
969-825: The Salvadoran government signed a concordat with the Holy See , outlining the relation between both parties. Barrios' rise to the presidency in El Salvador was initially supported by Carrera, who was still serving as president of Guatemala, as he believed that Barrios' strong government would ensure stability in the region in the wake of the war against Walker's Nicaragua. To support Barrios, Carrera did not allow Salvadoran exiles in Guatemala to organize themselves to challenge Barrios. In December 1860 and January 1861, Barrios made an official visit to Guatemala. Eventually, however, relations between both countries deteriorated. On 11 January 1862, Honduran President José Santos Guardiola
1020-402: The Salvadoran legislature granted Barrios the rank of captain general . On 2 February 1851, Barrios fought under President Doroteo Vasconcelos during the Battle of La Arada , which ended in a Salvadoran defeat against Guatemalan forces under President Rafael Carrera . Barrios was called to participate in the Filibuster War against William Walker 's Nicaraguan government where he commanded
1071-615: The administration of president Francisco Dueñas , the House of Senators issued the Código Político y Municipal (Political and Municipal Code), it entered into validity after its publication in the official newspaper El Constitucional on April 4, 1867. this code replaced the Reglament of 1861 which was considered to be in disharmony with the laws that assured the independence of municipal and judicial functionaries and contained "dispositions which were too complicated and impracticable in
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#17327810611471122-675: The assembly, but such funds are earmarked in the budget and are not incorporated into the central government's general fund. Among the duties relegated to the municipal councils under the Salvadoran Municipal Code is the holding of town meetings ( cabildos abiertos ) at least once every three months. The council is enjoined from acting against the majority opinion expressed at the town meetings. The municipal councils also grant legal recognition (personalidad juridica) to communal associations in their municipios. The councils are required to meet periodically with representatives of
1173-414: The communal associations and to consult with them on the appointment of representatives to advisory and other local commissions. The councils also issue local ordinances and regulations. Municipalities are subdivided into one urban area which is the municipal capital and various cantons which compromise its rural population. Cantons are composed of Caseríos. Gerardo Barrios Born in 1813, Barrios
1224-439: The country's military commander the day he assumed the presidency. Barrios returned to the presidency, again in an acting capacity, on 12 March 1859 after Peralta resigned. On 4 December 1859, Barrios won the 1859 presidential election unopposed and assumed the presidency in an official capacity on 1 February 1860, appointing José Félix Quirós as his vice president. Barrios left office on 16 December 1860 so that he could make
1275-450: The country's provisional president; on 4 December 1864, Dueñas won the 1864 presidential election unopposed and assumed the presidency in an official capacity on 1 February 1865. After his overthrow, Barrios and his wife fled to country to Panama , and then later, New York City and Washington, D.C. In 1864, Barrios published a manifesto which rejected the Salvadoran government's legitimacy—calling its leaders usurpers —and rejected
1326-528: The country; encourage immigration to the country; reform the country's education system; construct new roads and ports to expand the country's international trade and internal transportation. Barrios believed that El Salvador would be a major coffee producer by 1864, encouraging the transfer of government-owned haciendas to coffee planters. Barrios' government allowed oligarchs who held a stake in coffee production to hold significant power and influence in El Salvador, power and influence which would persist until
1377-525: The first designated successor to the presidency, and Barrios as the second designated successor. Additionally, Barrios was appointed as minister of external relations on 31 March 1858. On 24 June 1858, Barrios assumed the presidency in an acting capacity when Santín temporarily left politics due to illness. On 14 September 1858, Barrios ordered Morazán's body to be exhumed from its resting place in Cojutepeque to be moved to San Salvador , where it
1428-570: The following month. On 7 June 1857, Barrios began a coup d'état against Campo, moving 1,500 soldiers of the first division to the port city of La Libertad , and the following day, moved the division to San Salvador. Campo declared Barrios to be a traitor and ordered General Ramón Belloso to attack Barrios' soldiers on 12 June 1857. Barrios surrendered to Campo on 14 June 1857. On 7 February 1858, Miguel Santín del Castillo became president of El Salvador. He appointed Guzmán, Barrios' father-in-law, as his vice president . He named Lorenzo Zepeda as
1479-506: The following way: there would be 1 Alcalde and 1 Síndico for each population and the number of regidores would be determined according to the following criteria: This decree also established the Juzgado de Paz (Justice of the Peace) which separated judicial matters from the political government of the municipalities. These were established with the following numbers: On November 12, 1861,
1530-566: The government declared a state of siege. In June 1865, Barrios returned to El Salvador with 800 rifles on the ship Manuela Planas sailing under the American flag with hopes of seizing the presidency by force, however, his ship was damaged by a lightning strike and was forced to divert for El Realejo , Nicaragua. He and his ship were seized by the Nicaraguan government after his documentation papers were deemed to be forgeries. Diplomats from El Salvador to Nicaragua to demand his extradition, and as
1581-527: The government of president Gerardo Barrios decreed the Reglamento de Gobernadores, Jefes de Partido, Concejos Municipales, Alcaldes y Jueces de Paz . This bylaw had the purpose of remediating the confusions caused by the various and diverse laws emitted for the regulation of municipalities and to regulate the attributions of Jefes de Partido (District Chiefs) and to ensure the collection and legal investment of municipal funds. On February 15, 1866, during
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1632-460: The government's declaration that found Barrios guilty of high treason and declared him a traitor. In 1865, Dueñas broke up the department of San Miguel into three smaller departments— La Unión , San Miguel, and Usulután —to reduce its size and influence, and Barrios retained high support there. On 15 May 1865, Cabañas attempted a rebellion in San Miguel to restore Barrios as president, and
1683-537: The management and counting of municipal funds." According to the Code, the municipal councils were proportioned with 1 Alcalde and 1 Síndico with: The Constitution of 1886 established the character of popular elections in the municipal government. On May 8, 1897, the National Assembly emitted a Law of the Municipal Branch which was sanctioned by the executive office on May 16. On April 28, 1908 another Law of
1734-440: The municipal councils must be both at least 21 and residents of the municipality. Directly elected, municipal officials serve three-year terms and may be re-elected. Municipios are not all of equal size but are required to have a population of at least 10,000. Boundaries are determined by the Legislative Assembly. The powers of local government are those given by the central government. Because department governors are appointed by
1785-477: The municipalities and the position of Mayors. According to the reglament, the municipal councils were organized according to the following criteria: To become a member of the municipal council the requirements were: citizenship, 25 years of age, of "known morality", and being a neighbor of the territory or region of the municipality. The municipalities that were capitals of partidos (districts) had to establish Juntas de sanidad (boards of sanitation) composed of
1836-631: The nation. Opponents, however, raised concerns that it could diminish local representation and reduce citizen engagement with government. The municipalities are governed under the Municipal Code, which was enacted on January 31, 1986. The code establishes each municipio as the primary unit of political administration in El Salvador, with a defined territory and political autonomy. According to this code, municipalities are responsible for various local government functions, including infrastructure maintenance, public health services, local education, and promoting community development. Each municipality operates with
1887-493: The population. The municipalities, despite the reduction in their number, retain political autonomy within the state's organizational structure, enabling them to address issues specific to their jurisdictions. The restructured municipalities may lead to expanded geographical areas for each municipal council, potentially increasing the scope of local governance and the level of resources required for public services. San Salvador, founded in 1525 by Pedro de Alvarado ,
1938-437: The president, their independence is questionable. Despite their status as elected representatives, the powers of municipal officeholders are also limited in certain key areas. The most glaring example is taxation. Although the municipal councils are allowed to suggest local taxes and tax rates, only the Legislative Assembly has the power to levy the taxes. Therefore, all funds used by the councils are appropriated and disbursed by
1989-601: The reform anticipate it will bring more centralized resources to each municipality, though it remains to be seen how the changes will impact local identities and community participation. The reduced number of municipalities continues to follow the administrative structure laid out in the Municipal Code. Each municipality is governed by a municipal council ( Concejo Municipal ), responsible for local legislative decisions, budget allocation, and implementation of public policies. These councils are intended to ensure that community needs are met and that local governance remains responsive to
2040-470: The second-level administrative divisions within the Republic of El Salvador. These municipalities divide the country's departments and serve as the fundamental administrative units of local government. Historically, El Salvador was divided into 262 municipalities, each with a local municipal council responsible for governance and community services. However, on 1 June 2023, President Nayib Bukele announced
2091-511: The unique needs of their respective communities. The establishment of 262 municipalities provided residents with local governance; however, over time, critics argued that the large number of municipalities contributed to inefficiencies and financial burdens on the government. The decision to reduce the number of municipalities to 44 is part of broader governmental reforms initiated under Bukele's administration, which aims to centralize certain aspects of governance to enhance efficiency. Proponents of
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2142-444: Was court-martialed and sentenced to death . Barrios was executed by a firing squad on 29 August 1865. Barrios is considered to be a national hero and has many locations and institutions named after him. José Gerardo Barrios Espinoza was born to José María Barrios and Petrona Espinoza de Barrios; his paternal grandparents were Pedro Joaquín Barrios and Margarita Cisneros Avila, both of Spanish descent . His place and date of birth
2193-444: Was executed by a firing squad five hours later on 29 August 1865. The New York Times described his execution as a "barbarous act" and the Nicaraguan government criticized Barrios' execution as being in bad faith. The government lifted the state of siege on 31 August 1865. In 1882, when a monument to Morazán was inaugurated, Barrios was given a tribute due to their shared ideology of Central American unification. In 1910, Barrios
2244-561: Was assassinated and Barrios sought to influence the succeeding liberal government. Barrios' influence in Honduras was opposed by the Guatemalan government, and both Barrios and Carrera issued personal insults against each other; Barrios referred to Carrera as "the savage" and Guatemalan writers mocked Barrios as lame and pompous. In 1863, El Salvador and Guatemala went to war . In February 1863, Salvadoran forces led by Barrios defeated
2295-418: Was buried following a religious ceremony on 17 September 1858. He left office the following day. On 20 September 1858, Santín appointed Barrios as minister of interior and exterior relations and as general commander of the state. Santín ordered Barrios to resign from his positions, to which Barrios responded he would only do so if Santín also resigned. On 19 January 1859, Santín and Barrios both resigned, and
2346-725: Was declared by the Salvadoran government to be a national hero . Various locations and institutions in El Salvador are named after Barrios. On 29 August 1909, the Bolívar Plaza, San Salvador's central plaza which includes the San Salvador Cathedral and the National Palace , was renamed to the Plaza Gerardo Barrios . An equestrian status of Barrios was installed in that plaza in 1910. In 1911, President Manuel Enrique Araujo established
2397-568: Was only a teenager. Barrios also served as a member of the Federal Congress of the federal republic from 1836 to 1838. Barrios was a coquimbo , a liberal who fought until the very end of the second civil war and fled on the ship of the same name after Morazán was executed in 1842. In 1844 and 1845, Barrios participated in the overthrow of President Francisco Malespín . During the 1840s and 1850s, Barrios visited Europe and developed estates in eastern El Salvador. On 24 January 1850,
2448-592: Was replaced by José María Peralta on 15 February 1859, who himself resigned on 12 March 1859 and was replaced by Barrios. Barrios ran unopposed and won the 1859 presidential election , and began a six-yer term on 1 February 1860. During his presidency, Barrios worked to improve the country's education system and reduce the influence of the Catholic Church . In 1863, conservatives joined a Guatemalan invasion of El Salvador to depose Barrios. Although Barrios defeated Guatemalan soldiers under Rafael Carrera at
2499-512: Was taught the Spanish language , geography, American and European history, mathematics, astronomy, and physics by Pedro Joaquin Barrios (his paternal grandfather) and a family friend. They instilled in him his liberal ideals which he held throughout his life. Barrios was religious. Barrios married Adelaida Guzmán Saldós in 1843. Guzmán Saldós, who was 17 years old at the time of her marriage,
2550-529: Was taught various fields of education by his grandfather and a family friend, who also instilled in him his liberal ideals he held throughout his life. As a teenager, Barrios fought for the Federal Republic of Central America under Francisco Morazán from the late-1820s to the early-1840s. He continued his military career in El Salvador where he fought during Malespín's War in the mid-1840s,
2601-481: Was the daughter of Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán , the president of El Salvador from 1845–1846 and in 1859, and Paula Saldós. Their marriage produced no children. As a liberal, Barrios was a proponent of Central American reunification . Barrios fought for Francisco Morazán , the president of the Federal Republic of Central America , during the First and Second Central American Civil Wars beginning in 1828 when he
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