Benigno Filomeno de Rojas

Benigno Filomeno de Rojas Ramos (1821–1865) was a Dominican lawyer, economists, and politician. He served as the Head of State of the Dominican Republic from January 24, 1865, until March 24 of that year. Before that, he served as the vice president of that country under President Pedro Santana's administration from 1858 to 1861.

He was the president of the Senate of the Dominican Republic in 1854.

Early years
He was born in the city of Santiago on February 13, 1811. His parents were Carlos de Rojas Valerio and María Antonia Ramos Nazario. His family left the country following the Haitian invasion of 1822. As a teenager he moved to England, where he was educated and adopted English and American constitutionalist doctrines, in addition to acquiring administrative experience as a British government official. Upon returning to the country in 1846, he stood out as one of the most enlightened Cibaeño intellectuals and focused his attention on the technical and administrative reform of the State.

Vice Presidency
He returned to the Dominican Republic when Independence had already been proclaimed in 1844. He was one of the main drafters of the Manifesto of the Revolution of 1857 waged by the liberals of Cibaeño against Buenaventura Báez, whose victory determined the transfer of the capital of the Republic from Santo Domingo to Santiago. He held positions in the Senate. In 1858 he presided over the Constituent Congress that met in the city of Moca and elected José Desiderio Valverde. In this government he held the position of Vice President. In addition to his political life, he was a lawyer, a profession that he practiced successfully. In 1861 he was one of the first to support the Restoration, becoming one of its leaders. He was chief of operations for President Gaspar Polanco.

Presidency
It was a short-lived government. He had the initiative to create schools in each town and in the provincial capitals. He contributed to promoting education, while he held important positions, he founded primary and secondary schools. He had other projects to improve communication routes, but he could not carry them out. He ruled from January 24, 1865 to March 24, 1865.

Death
After being removed from office by President Antonio Salcedo and he retired to live in Moca. He held the vice presidency of the Republic three times. He died in Santo Domingo, on October 30, 1865.

Physionomy and character
General Gregorio Luperón once said about Benigno de Rojas:

He was a profound lawyer, a publicist with brilliant forms of daring ideas, who captivated with the beauty of his style and convinced with the truth of his arguments. He was a unique orator, who with his fertile eloquence dominated even family conversations, and ignited the most indifferent hearts. Powerfully overwhelming with the weight of the reality of the issues he dealt with. He always saw with a clear eye the difficulties that entrenched habits oppose to the reforms of progress, just as a good general sees the battlefield and dominates it.