President of Guatemala from 1892 to 1898
In this
Spanish name
, the first or paternal
surname
is
Reina
and the second or maternal family name is
Barrios
.
Jose Maria Reyna Barrios
(December 24, 1854 – February 8, 1898) was
President of Guatemala
from March 15, 1892 until his assassination on February 8, 1898. He was born in
San Marcos, Guatemala
and was nicknamed
Reynita
, the diminutive form, because of his short stature.
He was a moderate of
Guatemala
's Liberal Party, who worked to solidify the less controversial of the reforms of late president
Justo Rufino Barrios
.
Political life
[
edit
]
Reyna Barrios was nephew of Justo Rufino Barrios, and as such he started his political career while his uncle was still President of Guatemala. After Barrios
sudden death in Chalchuapa
,
El Salvador
on April 2. 1885, Reyna Barrios increased his political activity under the government of
Manuel Lisandro Barillas
, who was jealous of his popularity and sent him to Europe under false pretenses that there was a diplomatic appointment for him. The appointment never materialized and Reina Barrios was stuck in Europe and then in the
United States
for a few years.
1892 Presidential elections
[
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]
Reyna Barrios finally made it back to Guatemala, in time to run for office in the 1892 presidential elections. It was the first election in Guatemala that allowed the candidates to advertise in the local newspapers.
The candidates who ran for office were:
Name
|
Party
|
Supported by:
|
Other information
|
Lorenzo Montufar
|
Liberal
|
Liberal Club
|
He was the only one of all candidates who made an engraving of his portrait to publish it in the newspapers and was accused of wasting resources for doing this.
|
Francisco Lainfiesta
|
Liberal
|
None
|
Published his government proposal in the
Diario de Centro America
, taking advantage of the freedom of the Press that existed during Barillas' government.
|
Jose Maria Reyna Barrios
|
Liberal
|
Liberal Club
|
Eventual winner.
|
Miguel Enriquez
|
Conservative
|
Conservative Party
|
Enriquez had been a liberal, but became a conservative after the persecution that he suffered from the Barillas administration.
[d]
|
Jose Carranza Llerena
|
Conservative
|
None
|
Medical Staff of President Barillas.
|
Barillas Bercian was unique among all liberal presidents of Guatemala between 1871 and 1944: he handed over power to his successor peacefully. When election time approached, he sent for the three Liberal candidates to ask them what their government plan would be. The following anecdote recounts better what happened then:
First arrived lawyer Francisco Lainfiesta, and General Barillas, with the friendliest of smiles, said: "Mr. Lainfiesta: you are one of the candidates in the upcoming elections and perhaps the more likely to win. Therefore, I would like to know what your attitude and your political system of government will be, if you get to win. Especially, I would like to know your attitude about my person; because I have made my mistakes, I do not deny it. I was a simple worker at my carpentry when General
Justo Rufino Barrios
sent for me to be appointed second presidential designate. I would therefore, Mr. Lainfiesta, know what conduct you will observe towards me." Mr. Lainfiesta said: "
General Barillas: if luck would favor me with the election victory, my government will be based on strict adherence to the Constitution; the law would be the law and anyone who has acquired some responsibility, will have to answer for it before the relevant courts. A firm and righteous compliance with the constitutional provisions shall be the standard of my conduct as president
". "
Very well
" said general Barillas, and both parted cordially.
Barillas then brought in Dr. Montufar and interrogated him in the same or similar way as he had done Mr. Lainfiesta. Dr. Montufar responded in similar terms as Lainfiesta, stressing his claims to obedience of the Constitution and strict enforcement.
Finally general
Reyna Barrios
came in; when in the midst of pleasant conversation, General Barillas repeated his question, and Reyna replied, with a sincere smile: "
We should not even talk about that, general; because you and I are the same. Rest assured that I will know how to respect and protect you.
" And then both shook hands with effusion.
By the election period, the first two days of voting favored Lainfiesta. But by the third day, a huge column of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapan Indigenous people came down from the mountains to vote for general Reyna Barrios. The official agents did their job: Reyna was elected president
and, not to offend the losing candidates, Barillas gave them checks to cover the costs of their presidential campaigns. Reyna Barrios, of course, received nothing, but he went on to become President on March 15, 1892.
Government
[
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]
During Barrrios's first term in office, the power of the landowners over the rural peasantry increased. He oversaw the rebuilding of parts of
Guatemala City
on a grander scale, with wide, Parisian style avenues built. He oversaw Guatemala hosting the first "Exposicion Centroamericana" ("Central American Fair") in 1897. During his second term, Barrios printed bonds to fund his ambitious plans, fuelling
monetary inflation
and the rise of popular opposition to his regime.
Central American Fair hall ready for its grand opening.
1897 Central American Fair hall during the event.
Central American Fair booklet, printed by the Guatemalan Post Office.
Infrastructure
[
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]
As part of the efforts for the
Central American Expo
, his government embellished the city with avenues and monuments following Parisian style and built the
Northern Railroad of Guatemala
. Due to the
1917-1918 earthquakes
most of these structures were lost.
His administration also work on improving the roads, installing national and international telegraphs and introducing electricity to Guatemala City. Completing a transoceanic railway was a main objective of his government, with a goal to attract international investors at a time when the
Panama Canal
was not built yet.
Buildings and monuments built during Reyna Barrios administration
Monument
|
Image
|
After 1917-1918
|
Location
|
Description
|
Plaza de Armas -Central Square- remodeling
|
|
|
Guatemala City Center
|
As part of the Central America Fair, Reyna Barrios ordered a series of monument and building constructions. Among them, he remodeled Central Square, removing the old Spanish Fountain and adding an elegant iron fence to the area.
|
Presidential Palace
|
|
|
Plaza de Armas -Central Square-
|
Reyna Barrios hired Spaniard architect Jose de Bustamante, to build his Presidencial Palace. The contract was approved on February 8, 1895 and the structure was built in a garden of the old Spanish Royal Palace. It cost around 400,000 pesos; construction began on January 1, 1895 and the Palace was opened to the public on December 24, 1896.
[
citation needed
]
It was the headquarters for the Government executive branch during Reyna Barrios and
Manuel Estrada Cabrera
administrations, until it was destroyed by the
1917-1918 earthquakes
.
|
"30 de junio" boulevard
|
|
|
Extension towards the south of
Guatemala City
.
|
Avenue built in honor of the Liberal Reform from 1871. Several monuments, palaces and halls were built along the road. Only some statues survived the earthquakes of 1917-18.
|
"La Reforma" Palace and Museum
|
|
|
"30 de junio" boulevard
|
Located at the end of the "30 de junio" boulevard, this palace and museum was a favorite place for tourists and nationals alike, until it was destroyed by the
1917-18 earthquakes
. In its place, later a monument to the Independence was built.
|
Central American Fair Hall
|
|
N/A
|
"30 de junio" boulevard
|
Built for the Central American Fair of 1897.
|
Registro de la Propiedad Inmueble
|
N/A
|
|
Old plaza of
Guatemala City
|
Originally built for the Real Estate Record office, it was one of the very few buildings that survived the 1917-18 earthquakes. Later, it was transformed into the National History Museum.
|
Escuela Agricola de Indigenas
|
|
|
"La Aurora" city park
|
This agriculture school was in the "La Aurora" city park. Later, it was used for the Male Normal School, but was destroyed by the 1917-1918 earthquakes.
|
Death
[
edit
]
In a very strange coincidence, Barrios was assassinated on February 8, 1898 at No. 8 on 8th Street in
Guatemala City
at 8:00 PM local time
[12]
[13]
by Edgar Zollinger, a British citizen and administrator of the Aparicio Family business, who shot him with a .38 caliber revolver. After shooting the president, he was shot eight times by defenders. Zollinger took revenge since back on September 13, 1897 Reina Barrios had Juan Aparicio killed in an unlawful manner. Aparicio was the former Mayor of Quetzaltenango. His assets included the Zunil Electrical Plant, The Los Altos Railroad, Coffee Plantations and Local Bank. These businesses were appropriated illegally, leaving the Aparicio family in ruins for decades. The population mourned the death of Aparicio as he was loved for helping and aiding others. Reina Barrios lived his last moments as a criminal. His actions caused irreversible damage to Guatemalan infrastructure.
See also
[
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]
Notes and references
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Castellanos (2007). "Jose Maria Reina Barrios" (in Spanish). Guatemala.
Consuelo Reina Barrios was indeed daughter of Mrs. Argelia Benton a carried the Reina Barrios last name; however, in reality, she was the daughter of general Salvador Toledo, Reina Barrios Chief of Staff.
[
full citation needed
]
- ^
La Ilustracion Guatemalteca (1897). "Dona Celia Barrios de Reina" (in Spanish).
1
(21). Guatemala.
Celia Barrios was
Justo Rufino Barrios
' sister.
- ^
Gaitan, Hector (1982).
La calle donde tu vives
(in Spanish). Guatemala.
He was call "Man of the tragic eights" since he was murdered at 8 pm on February 8, 1898.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link
)
- ^
Castellanos (2014). "Jose Maria Reina Barrios". Guatemala.
In fact, after the elections Miguel Enriquez had to run away from his farm in Salama after being accused of sedition; he was captured and executed near Zacapa.
[
full citation needed
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Gaitan, Hector (1982).
La calle donde tu vives
(in Spanish). Guatemala.
He was call "Man of the tragic eights" since he was murdered at 8 pm on February 8, 1898.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link
)
- ^
Hammerton, J. A., ed. (2007).
Peoples of All Nations, Volume 7
. Concept Publishing Company. p. 2556.
ISBN
9788172681449
.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Castellanos, Lorena (2014).
Vida y obra de Jose Maria Reyna Barrios
.
Francisco Marroquin University
(in Spanish). Guatemala. Archived from
the original
on 3 November 2014
. Retrieved
3 November
2014
.
- De los Rios, Efrain (1948).
Ombres contra Hombres
(in Spanish) (2nd ed.). Mexico: Fondo de la Cultura de la Universidad de Mexico.
- Fernandez Alfaro, Joaquin Alberto (2014).
El Canciller Montufar
(in Spanish) (1st. ed.).
San Jose
,
Costa Rica
: Instituto Manuel Maria de Peralta, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto de Costa Rica. p. 384.
- Hernandez de Leon, Federico
(1959). "El capitulo de las efemerides".
La Hora
(in Spanish). Guatemala.
- — (1930).
El libro de las efemerides
(in Spanish). Vol. 3. Guatemala: Tipografia Sanchez y de Guise.
- La Ilustracion Espanola y Americana
(1876).
"Doctor don Lorenzo Montufar y Rivera, Ministro plenipotenciario de Guatemala en Madrid"
.
Fundacion Joaquin Diaz
(in Spanish).
20
(79).
- Lujan Munoz, J. (2003).
Las Revoluciones de 1897, La Muerte de J. M. Reina Barrios y la Eleccion de M. Estrada Cabrera
(in Spanish). Guatemala: Artemis & Edinter.
ISBN
9788489766990
.
- Mendoza, Juan Manuel (1946).
Enrique Gomez Carrillo: estudio critico-biografico; su vida, su obra y su epoca
(in Spanish) (2nd. ed.). Guatemala: Tipografia Nacional.
- Montufar, Lorenzo
(1893).
"Notions of international law and laws of war, for the Central American armies"
.
archive.org
.
- Valdeavellano, Alberto G.
(1896).
"Fotografias de la Ilustracion Guatemalteca"
.
La Ilustracion Guatemalteca
(in Spanish).
I
(1?13). Guatemala: Siguere, Guirola & Cia.
External links
[
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]