José Antonio de los Santos Páez Herrera, 4º Presidente de Venezuela

First President of Venezuela from January 13, 1830 to January 20, 1835.

Venezuelan president, born of Indian parents near Acarigua in the province of Barinas on the 13th of June 1790. He came to the front in the war of independence against Spain, and his military career, which began about 1810, was distinguished by the defeat of the Spanish forces at Mata de la Miel (1815), at Montecal and throughout the province of Apure (1816), and at Puerto Cabello (1823). In 1829 he furthered the secession of Venezuela from the republic of Colombia, and he became its first president (1830-34). He was again president in 1839-43, and dictator in 1846; but soon afterwards headed a revolution against his successor and was thrown into prison. In 1850 he was released and left the country, but in 1858 he returned, and in 1860 was made minister to the United States. A year afterwards he again returned and made himself dictator, but in 1863 was overthrown and exiled. He died in New York City on the 6th of May 1873. His autobiography was published at New York in 1867-69, and his son Ramon Páez wrote Public Life of J. A. Páez in 1864. His remains were placed in Venezuela’s Panteón Nacional in 1888.