José Joaquín de Olmedo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Head of Provisional Government of Ecuador | |
| In office 6 March 1845 – 8 December 1845 | |
| Vice President | Pablo Merino |
| Preceded by | Juan José Flores(as President of Ecuador) |
| Succeeded by | Vicente Ramón Roca(as President of Ecuador) |
| Vice President of Ecuador | |
| In office 12 September 1830 – 15 September 1831 | |
| President | Juan José Flores |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | José Modesto Larrea |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 March 1780 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Died | 19 February 1847(1847-02-19) (aged 66) Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Spouse | María Rosa Icaza y Silva |
| Alma mater | Universidad Mayor de San Marcos |
| Signature |  |
José Joaquín de Olmedo y Maruri (20 March 1780 – 19 February 1847) wasPresident of Ecuador from 6 March 1845 to 8 December 1845. A patriot and poet, he was the son of the Spanish Captain Don Miguel de Olmedo y Troyano and the Guayaquilean Ana Francisca de Maruri y Salavarría.
On 9 October 1820, Olmedo and others declared the city of Guayaquil independent from Spain. He was President of theFree Province of Guayaquil until it was united toGran Colombia bySimón Bolívar against Olmedo's will. He was also twice mayor ofGuayaquil.
As a result of Guayaquil's annexation to Colombia, Olmedo travelled toPeru in a self-imposed exile. He became active in Peruvian politics, forming part of the country's firstConstituent Congress and representing it diplomatically in Europe, specifically as minister toFrance andPortugal, among other states.[1]
He wasVice President of Ecuador from 1830 to 1831,[2] and becamePresident ofEcuador from 6 March 1845, to 8 December 1845, surviving an attempted coup on 18 June of that year.
He was also a noted poet who emphasized patriotic themes. His best-known work isLa victoria de Junin, which pictures the Latin American fighters for independence from Spain as the legitimate heirs of theIncas.
Olmedo devoted his life to Guayaquil, he created the Guayaquilean flag and coat of arms, and in 1821 he composed theSong to the October Ninth, which would become the Guayaquil Anthem.
He is quoted as saying "He who does not hope to win has already lost."[3]
TheJosé Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport inGuayaquil is named after him.
José Joaquín de Olmedo[4] was a participant in a group organized by don José de Antepara that supported secession from theSpanish Empire.[5] The group was formed the night of 1 October 1820 in the home ofJosé de Villamil under the guise of aquinceañera for Isabela Morlás, who was the daughter of fellow secessionist Pedro Morlás. Gregorio Escobedo, Francisco de Paula Lavayen, Luis Fernando Vivero, and José Rivas also participated, as well as Venezuelans Febres Cordero, Miguel de Letamendi, and Luis Urdaneta, among others. The group, known as the "Forge ofVulcan," concluded the meeting with an oath of loyalty to the cause by those present.
During the days following the meeting, Antepara and Villamil managed to convince the military leaders in charge ofGuayaquil's defense to join the cause of independence. However, they decided to give leadership of the liberationist movement to Olmedo. On 3 October, Villamil visited Olmedo to offer him the position of leadership, but Olmedo declined because he thought that the movement should be led by someone with military instead of political experience. Nevertheless, Olmedo confirmed his commitment to the cause and offered to help with political and diplomatic matters once independence was reached.
The cause of independence, eventually led byLeón de Febres Cordero, continued in the following days with exhaustive planning of the rebellion that aimed to keep losses and use of weapons to a minimum. Finally, on the night of 8 October the revolution began with the capture of several military outposts by the rebels and the apprehension of authorities loyal to the Spanish crown. The rebellion continued until the morning of 9 October.[6]
During his life, he dedicated part of his time to the creation of novels, songs, poems, and other kinds of literary works. Among his most well known works are:Canto a Bolívar; Al General Flores, vencedor en Miñarica; andAlfabeto para un niño. He designed the flag and crest of Guayaquil and wrote the lyrics of itsanthem.
In 1808 he was inspired to compose the prologue to the tragedyEl Duque de Viseo de Quintana and his poemEl Árbol, which he finished in 1809.El Árbol contains two parts: one that is philosophical and has great aesthetic sense, and one that is less carefully constructed which ends the poem. This makes it seem as if there were two distinct verses brought together.
In January 1811 he was still inMexico and read his poemImprontu.
In the beginning of 1817 he traveled toLima and wroteA un amigo, don Gaspar Rico....
In 1821 he wroteCanción al 9 de octubre, considered to be the first anthem of the Ecuadorian territory.
In 1823 in Lima he edited his 45-page translation from English ofEssay on Man byAlexander Pope.
In 1825 he composedMarcha and the poemLa Libertad.
In 1837 he wroteCanción del 10 de agosto, which served as a precursor to the current nationalanthem as demonstrated by Espinosa Pólit.
In 1840 he wroteEn la muerte de mi hermana. In 1843 he editedOcios poéticos del General Flores y una oda en su obsequio in 52 pages.
From then on his poems began to be published with great success. In 1848 a volume ofObras Poéticas, a collection revised and corrected by Olmedo, was released inValparaiso months before his death. The second edition was issued in Paris in 1853, with 214 pages. There are later publications as well.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Position created | Vice President of Ecuador 1830–1831 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Ecuador 1845 | Succeeded by |
