Francisco Dueñas

Doctor
Francisco Dueñas
Doctor Francisco Dueñas
	Drawing of Dueñas, 1865
6th and 11th President of El Salvador
	In office; 26 October 1863 – 15 April 1871; Provisional President until 1 February 1865
Vice President	Gregorio Arbizú (1865–1869); José María Parrilla (1869–1871)
Preceded by	Gerardo Barrios
Succeeded by	Santiago González Portillo
	In office; 1 February 1852 – 1 February 1854
Vice President	Tomás Medina
Preceded by	José María San Martín (provisional)
Succeeded by	Vicente Gómez (provisional)
	In office; 13 May 1851 – 30 January 1852
Vice President	Tomás Medina
Preceded by	José Félix Quirós (provisional)
Succeeded by	José María San Martín (provisional)
	In office; 12 January 1851 – 1 March 1851; Provisional President
Vice President	José Félix Quirós
Preceded by	Doroteo Vasconcelos
Succeeded by	José Félix Quirós (provisional)
Vice President of El Salvador
	In office; 1 February 1856 – 1 February 1858
President	Rafael Campo
Preceded by	Mariano Hernández
Succeeded by	Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán
President of the Senate of El Salvador
	In office; 27 January 1855 – 24 February 1855
Preceded by	Juan José Bonilla
Succeeded by	José Mariano Hernández
Personal details
Born	Francisco Dueñas Díaz; 3 December 1810; San Salvador, New Spain
Died	4 March 1884 (aged 73); San Francisco, United States
Resting place	Santa Tecla, El Salvador
Nationality	Salvadoran
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Teresa Dárdano (m. 1866)
Children	3
Alma mater	University of San Carlos
Profession	Politician

Francisco Dueñas Díaz (3 December 1810 – 4 March 1884) was a Salvadoran politician and member of the Conservative Party who served as President of El Salvador on four different occasions between 1851 and 1871. J. Lloyd Mecham described El Salvador during Dueñas' presidency as "experienced a far-reaching Conservative reaction".^[1]

Biography[edit]

Francisco Dueñas Díaz was born on 3 December 1810 in San Salvador, New Spain. His father was José Miguel Dueñas and his mother was Secundina Díaz.^[2] Dueñas attended the Santo Domingo Convent in San Salvador, studying to become a priest. In 1827, he transfered to the Order of Santo Domingo Convent in Guatemala City, however, he dropped out of the convent in 1829 and no longer sought the priesthood. In 1836, Dueñas earned his doctorate at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala City.^[3]

Political career[edit]

In 1837, Dueñas returned to El Salvador and was elected as a member of the Federal Congress of the Federal Republic of Central America as a conservative. The following year, he was elected as the secretary of the Federal Congress.^[2]^[3] In 1839, Salvadoran Governor Francisco Morazán appointed Dueñas as the vice secretary-general of dispatches. He served in this position until February 1840 when he resigned in protest of Morazán's invasion of Guatemala as a part of the Second Central American Civil War. In February 1845, Salvadoran President Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán appointed Dueñas as the minister of dispatches, where he served until February 1846.^[2]^[4]

In 1849, Dueñas was elected to the Senate of El Salvador. In 1850, Dueñas attempted to run for president in that year's presidential election, but incumbent President Doroteo Vasconcelos did not allow Dueñas to do so as Vasconcelos was seeking re-election.^[4] From 12 January 1851 to 1 March 1851, Dueñas served as the provisional president of El Salvador as Vasconcelos led Salvadoran soldiers in the Battle of La Arada against Guatemalan President Rafael Carrera, after which, Dueñas ceded the provisional presidency to Vice President José Félix Quirós. On 13 May 1851, Quirós resigned the presidency and Dueñas assumed the presidency in an official capacity, serving the remainder of the 1850–1852 presidential term, resigning on 30 January 1852 to José María San Martín. Dueñas was elected as president during the 1852 presidential election and he assumed office on 1 February 1852, two days after he had resigned the presidency to San Martín. Dueñas served until 1 February 1854^[2]^[4]

On 27 January 1855, Dueñas was elected as the president of the Senate of El Salvador. He served until 24 February 1855.^[3] During the 1856 presidential election, Dueñas was elected as Rafael Campo's vice president. Dueñas served as vice president from 1 February 1856 to 1 February 1858.^[2]^[5] Dueñas supported Campo's presidency in opposition to liberal Gerardo Barrios who aspired to become the president of El Salvador; Dueñas saw Barrios as an enemy for his liberal politics. Dueñas fled El Salvador to Guatemala when Barrios overthrew President Miguel Santín del Castillo. He briefly returned to El Salvador for two months in 1861 after he was granted amnesty by Barrios, but Dueñas was forced to flee to Guatemala again after Barrios accused him of plotting to overthrow the government.^[5]

In 1863, Dueñas and other exiled conservatives supported Carrera's invasion of El Salvador and sought to overthrow Barrios. Barrios was overthrown on 26 October 1863 and Dueñas was proclaimed as El Salvador's provisional president. The legislature confirmed Dueñas' presidency during the 1864 presidential election and his term began on 1 February 1864. On 29 August 1865, the legislature amended article 33 of the constitution of El Salvador to allow Dueñas to run for re-election. He was successfully re-elected during the 1869 presidential election. Dueñas was overthrown by Field Marshal Santiago González Portillo on 15 April 1871 and seized the presidency.^[2]^[5]

Dueñas sought asylum in the United States embassy in San Salvador but he was eventually arrested and incarcerated at the military college established during Dueñas' presidency. In 1872, the Salvadoran government allowed Dueñas and his family to leave for exile in the United States. President Rafael Zaldívar accused Dueñas of attempting to overthrow his government in 1878 and 1883 when Dueñas attempted to reenter El Salvador on the boat named Ounalaska, and both times Dueñas was forced to return to the United States.^[5]

Personal life[edit]

On 12 February 1866, Dueñas married Teresa Dárdano in a ceremony presided over by Tomás Pineda y Zaldaña, the bishop of San Salvador. Dueñas and Dárdano had three children: Francisco, Carlos, and Miguel. Dueñas also had two step children—Pablo and Antonia—through his wife's first marriage.^[2]

Death[edit]

Dueñas died on 4 March 1884 in San Francisco, United States. His remains were returned to El Salvador in 1886 and he was buried in Santa Tecla.^[2]^[5]

References[edit]

^ Mecham 1966, p. 324.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Casa Presidencial.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 109.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 110.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 111.

Bibliography[edit]

Cañas Dinarte, Carlos & Scarlett Cortez, Violeta (2006). Aguilar Avilés, Gilberto (ed.). Historia del Órgano Legislativo de la República de El Salvador: 1824–1864 [History of the Legislative Organ of the Republic of El Salvador: 1824–1864] (PDF) (in Spanish) (I ed.). San Salvador, El Salvador: Legislative Assembly of El Salvador. OCLC 319689765. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
Mecham, J. Lloyd (1966). Church and State in Latin America. University of North Carolina Press. p. 324.
"Presidentes de El Salvador – Licenciado Francisco Dueñas" [Presidents of El Salvador – Licentiate Francisco Dueñas]. Government of El Salvador (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2007.

Political offices
Preceded by Doroteo Vasconcelos	President of El Salvador Provisional President 1851	Succeeded by José Félix Quirós (provisional)
Preceded by José Félix Quirós (provisional)	President of El Salvador 1851–1852	Succeeded by José María San Martín (provisional)
Preceded by José María San Martín (provisional)	President of El Salvador 1852–1854	Succeeded by Vicente Gómez (provisional)
Preceded by Juan José Bonilla	President of the Senate of El Salvador 1855	Succeeded by José Mariano Hernández
Preceded by Mariano Hernández	Vice President of El Salvador 1856–1858	Succeeded by Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán
Preceded by Gerardo Barrios	President of El Salvador Provisional President until 1864 1863–1871	Succeeded by Santiago González Portillo

[FOOTNOTEMecham1966324-1] Mecham 1966, p. 324.

[FOOTNOTECasa_Presidencial-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Casa Presidencial.

[FOOTNOTECañas_DinarteScarlett_Cortez2006109-3] Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 109.

[FOOTNOTECañas_DinarteScarlett_Cortez2006110-4] Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 110.

[FOOTNOTECañas_DinarteScarlett_Cortez2006111-5] Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 111.

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[2]

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[4]

[5]

v t e Heads of state of El Salvador
Post-independence (1821–1823)	Barriere Delgado Filísola Codallos Consultive Junta^‡ Prado^†
Federal Republic of Central America (1823–1841)	J. Rodríguez Prado J. V. Villacorta Prado Cornejo J. D. Villacorta Cornejo Morazán^† J. San Martín Prado J. San Martín C. Salazar^† G. Salazar^† Escolán^† Silva Espinoza F. Gómez Vigil T. Menéndez Vigil T. Menéndez Cañas^† Morazán Silva^† Cañas^† Ramírez^† Lindo^†
Republic of El Salvador (1841–1931)	Lindo^† Arce^† Marín^† J. J. Guzmán D. Villacorta^† Marín^† J. J. Guzmán C. Molina^† Arce^† C. Molina^† Arce^† Palacios^† Malespín Palacios^† J. E. Guzmán Palacios^† Aguilar Palacios^† Aguilar Medina^† Quirós^† Vasconcelos R. Rodríguez^† Vasconcelos Dueñas^† Quirós^† Dueñas J. M. San Martín^† Dueñas V. Gómez^† J. M. San Martín Dueñas^† Campo Dueñas^† Campo Zepeda^† Santín Barrios^† Santín J. E. Guzmán^† Peralta^† Barrios Dueñas González Méndez^† González del Valle Zaldívar Guirola^† Zaldívar Figueroa^† Rosales^† F. Menéndez C. Ezeta A. Ezeta^† Gutiérrez Regalado Escalón Figueroa M. Araujo C. Meléndez^† Quiñónez^† C. Meléndez Quiñónez^† J. Meléndez Quiñónez P. Romero A. Araujo
Military presidents (1931–1979)	Civic Directory^‡ Hernández Martínez^† A. Menéndez^† Hernández Martínez A. Menéndez^† Aguirre^† Castaneda Revolutionary Council of Government^‡ Osorio Lemus Junta of Government^‡ Civic-Military Directory^‡ Cordón^† Rivera F. Sánchez A. Molina C. Romero
Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992)	Revolutionary Government Junta^‡ Magaña Duarte Cristiani
Post-Civil War (since 1992)	Cristiani Calderón Flores Saca Funes S. Sánchez Bukele C. Rodríguez^†
^† – Acting or provisional president ^‡ – Military junta

v t e Presidents of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
1800s	Hoyos Cornejo Mencía Rodríguez y Nuila Blanco Paiz Mencía Zelaya Pérez Aguilar Agustín Morales San Martín Bonilla Dueñas Hernández Gómez Cabañas Gallardo Quirós González Portillo Chacón Gallardo Francisco Zaldívar Gallardo Chacón Rafael Zaldívar Campo Vasconcelos Larreynaga Ayala Fallos Valle Mariano Castro López Lemus Domingo López Vides Moreno Guirola Alvarado Gómez Galindo Ruíz Aguilar Valle Rodríguez Larreynaga Ayala Pacas Pineda Vaquero Arce y Rascón Durán Santillana Castro Rodríguez Pinto Figueroa Medina Rodríguez Arriola Zelaya Fallos Interiano Romero Aráuz
1900s	Arriola Zelaya García González Aráuz Novoa Meléndez Mejía Aráuz García González Martínez Pinto Figueroa Novoa Meléndez Meléndez Ramírez García de Machón Batres Falla Cañas Parker Modesto Castro González José Antonio Rodríguez Fernando López Reyes Gálvez Olano Villacorta Rodolfo Víctor Morales Cierra Reyes Gálvez Rivas Vides Galindo Pohl Peralta Salazar Carmona Dárdano Esquivel Rodríguez Cordón Cea Guerrero Guardado Guerra Hércules Rubén Alfonso Rodríguez Echeverría D'Aubuisson Castillo Rodas Guevara Alvarenga Valdivieso Angulo Samayoa Salguero Gross Flores Pérez Duch Martínez
2000s	Zepeda Peña Araujo Zepeda Peña Orellana Zepeda Peña Reyes Morales Peña Mendoza Gallegos Navarrete Quijano González Ponce López Castro Aldana