User:Markgerard2020/sandbox

Juan León Mera Martínez(Ambato, June 28th, 1832 – Ambato, December 13th, 1894, was an Ecuadorian essayist, novelist, politian and painter. His most emphasized works are the Ecuadorian National Hymn and the novel Cumandá (1879). Additionally in his political career he was a functionary of president Gabriel García Moreno.

Biografía
He was born on Ambato on June 28, 1832 and died in the same city on December 13th, 1894. His father, Pedro Antonio Mera Gómez was a businessman while his mother Josefa Martínez Vásconez, raised her only son alone due to the fact that he abandoned her during her pregnancy. His infancy was humble while during his first years of life he lived at the “Los Molinos” country property, locatd in Ambato. In order to support the family his maternal grandmother rented the property to her brother Pablo Vásconez, who was a political activists who fought against the politics of Juan José Flores. León Mera recieved his education at home, which in large part was carried out by great-uncle as well as his uncle Nicolás Martínez who was a doctor. At the age of twenty he travled to Quito to study painting with the noted pictural artist Antonio Salas, where he learned how to paint oil and watercolor. At the each of 33 he and Antonio Neumane created the National hymn of Ecuador.

Writing
In the year 1854, He published his first verses of poetry in La Democracia, with the help of writer Miguel Riofrío. He Founded the Ecuadorian Academy of language in 1874 and was a member of the Real Academia Española.

He is considered one of the precursors of literatura de Ecuador for his famous national novel Cumandá which shows the complicated racial and social intricacies of Ecuador following Independence. It was published in Quito in the year 1879 and later in Madrid in 1891. This novel was later utilized by Ecuadorian dramaturgists of the 20th centruyLuis H. Salgado (1903-1977), Pedro Pablo Traversari Salazar (1874-1956) and Sixto María Durán Cárdenas (1875-1947) to each write a novel.

Political Career
In additon to being a writer and painter he was a political conservative and follower of Gabriel García Moreno. He was the governor of Cotopaxi, Secretary of the Council of State, Senator, President of the Cámara del senado and National Congress. In actuality you may visted the museo "La quinta de Juan León Mera", in the city of Ambato, his former residence and where they exhibiten his possesions.

Works based on his novels
Based on his novel Cumandá o un drama entre salvajes they have written three operas:
 * * Cumandá, una ópera de Luis H. Salgado
 * * Cumandá, una ópera de Sixto María Durán Cárdenas
 * * Cumandá o la virgen de las selvas una ópera de Pedro Pablo Traversari Salazar

Biography
He was born April 19, 1865. His father His father was a Cámara representantive in Barbacoas Colombia, where he was a solicitor and representative at the 1864 congress. After this he moved to Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador where he worked as a functionary of the seminary and in journalism.

In Febraury, 1883 he joined the the barracks of General Eloy Alfaro’s reformed military forces and advanced with them to Portoviejo, Montecrist, Jipijapa and Mapasingue in the coastal region of Ecuador. On July 3 he took part in combat in saltwater estuaries in Mapasingue and cleared out the government troops that occupied it. General José María Sarasti, who commanded the government forces was present and arranged a ceasefire with General Alfaro, impeding Alfaro’s troops from taking Guayaquil on the same day.

Plaza also was present at the fighting at Puerto Liza against the steamer “Huacho” and other ships of the government flotilla which were routed after ship damage and casualties. Finally on the June 9 he entered Guayaquil as the Lieutenant of the Esmeraldas Battalion. On November 14, 1884 in Charapotó he joined the liberal revolution forces against President Caamaño and forming part of the armed contingent of his relative Juan Francisco Centeno went to Bahía de Caráquez and sailed in December on the steamer "Alajuela": The next day came the unequal naval combat at Jaramijó. The Alajuela gave a good account of Huacho in minutes. Plaza was among the first to board along with Fidel Andrade and Pancho Domínguez, the remaining government naval forces under General Reinaldo Flores arrived at full speed in the "Nueve de Julio", trying to help his troops, but they found both of their ships in flames and left without fighting. Meanwhile Alfaro and his men won the beaches and went deep into the jungles of Esmeraldas, fighting in retreat to the borders of Túmaco. After suffering this ordeal Plaza fled to Panama and had to make a living as a simple laborer, but on August 18, 1885 the Colombian government forced him out of there. Alfaro then recommended him to his personal friend Francisco Menendez, liberal president of the Republic of Salvador, who promoted him to Major, entrusted with the custody of the fortress of Santa Ana in 1889 and ascended to be Governor of Sonsonate, with its capital Port of La Union. The Conservative caudillo Carlos Ezeta rise up against him and during the fighting Menendez died in 1890. Plaza aligned himself with Ezeta and was promoted to Colonel and assigned to the war against Guatemala. Then Ezeta rebelled against General Jose Maria Rivas who was supporting Dr. Rafael Ayala, who as Vice President was called to take charge. Plaza stood up for Ezeta and was defeated by General Letona, earning the condemnation of his boss Ezeta to the point that he even threaten him with execution, but later changed his mind and sent him to the Honduran border in pursuit of some guerrillas. Plaza reached the town of Sensuntepeque, which had just been vacated by the rebels, he condemned the town to be looted and Ezeta awarded him the Undersecretary of war and sent him to the border with Guatemala. Later, in a bold maneuver that had good results, Plaza and Antonio Ezeta brother of President of the Republic attacked General Rivas in San Salvador and defeated him. After this event Plaza assumed the role of Inspectorate General of Customs, until General Amaya convinced him to conspire against Ezeta. However, the plot was discovered and was expelled to California. Arriving in Acapulco he telegraphed Antonio Ezeta asking him for protection to which the president responded with criticism for his disloyalty in two telegrams that were published in newspapers. Plaza realized that nothing more could be done in Central America, returned to Panama and eventually continued to Guayaquil where he bought several hundred pounds of sugar to sell in Nicaragua. There in 1892 he put himself into service with the conservative president Roberto Sacasa who conspired against by the Liberal General Juan de Dios Zelaya, who went on to triumph in the battle of Masalla. Plaza was defeated with the previous regimen, but using the Influence of Eloy Alfaro against was able to enter the Nicaraguan army. He did not serve for long as he dedicating himself to conspiring but was caught and deported to Costa Rica in 1893, where President Rafael Iglesias Castro on December 8 appointed him commander in arms of the port of Alajuela with the rank of General. That year due to the serious conflict between Ecuador and Peru Plaza was quick to send a telegram offering his sword and himself in defending the territorial integrity of Ecuador, but as nothing came of the telegraph he continued living in Costa Rica. In June 1895 he used every means in his power so that Alfaro would bring him to Guayaquil but failed due to his past behavior. However, several associates and friends of his interceded on his behalf and Alfaro finally consented to his coming. He arrived when the army had already traveled to the mountains and was in Cajabamba shortly before the Battle of Gatazo. As Chief of Staff and head of the battalion Daule that maintained fire at all times and proved to be opportune help to Medardo Alfaro in the thick of the battle.