Santander, Francisco de Paula

Santander, Francisco de Paula (fränsē`skō dā pou`lä säntändār`), 1792–1840, Colombian revolutionist. Given command of the guerrillas of the llanos by Simón Bolívar, Santander materially contributed to the victory at Boyacá. In Oct., 1821, he became vice president of Colombia and ably administered the country during Bolívar's long absences. A believer in constitutional government, Santander led the federalist opposition to Bolívar, who, on Sept. 24, 1828, suspended him from office. That night Bolívar barely escaped assassination. Convicted without proof of complicity in the plot, Santander was sentenced to death, but was instead banished. After Bolívar's death and the dissolution of the republic of Greater Colombia, he returned and served (1832–36) as president of New Granada. His administration was competent, but there were plots against his life and he maintained control only by force.

Bibliography

See study by D. Bushnell (1970).

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Santander, Francisco de Paula 

Born Apr. 2, 1792, in Cúcuta; died May 6, 1840, in Bogotá. Statesman and politician of New Granada (Colombia). General.

From 1813, Santander was one of the leaders of the war for independence in New Granada. He was vice-president of Gran Colombia from 1819 to 1828. He was virtually president during S. Bolivar’s campaigns. In 1828, Santander was sentenced to death for having plotted against Bolívar, but the latter commuted the death sentence to banishment from the country. Santander was president of New Granada from 1832 to 1837. He was the leader of the Liberal Party, which was founded in the 1830’s and which expressed the interests of the nascent bourgeoisie. Santander made a great contribution to the development of education and weakened the influence of the church on public education. He was a deputy to Congress from 1838.

WORKS

Cartas y mensajes, vols. 1–10. Bogotá, 1953–56.
Archivo Santander, vols. 1–24. Bogotá, 1913–32.