Ezequiel Hurtado

Ezequiel Hurtado Hurtado was a politician, military general and statesman who became 17th President of Colombia.

Biography He was born in Silvia, in the department of Cauca, December 14, 1825, and died in Popayán, September 4, 1890. His parents were Nicolas Hurtado and Maria Trinidad Hurtado. He went to school at Colegio San Jose and then studied law at the University of Cauca, where he graduated on January 27, 1852. He subsequently became a University lecturer in law.

His initial military involvement was in 1851, in defence of legal institutions. Two years later his military and political career started in earnest with the Colombian Liberal Party in the fight against the dictator José María Melo.

From 1860 he took part in revolutionary movements against the Conservative Government of Mariano Ospina Rodriguez. He joined the army of General Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera which was successful in 1861, and he was promoted to the rank of General.

Subsequently he was part of the Cauca State Assembly and served as a government minister on various occasions. He also took part in the Convention of Rionegro which produced the 1863 Constitution.

Leaving office in 1883, he was elected by Congress to be the Designated President of the Republic and was appointed Presiding Judge by the Supreme Court of Justice. He exercised presidential power between April and August 1884, due to the delay of Rafael Nuñez assuming power. In his responsibilities he appointed as cabinet ministers of Housing, Finance, Public Works, External Relations, Public Education and War the following: Manuel M. Castro, Felipe Angulo, Mariano Tanco y José María Caro, José J. Vargas, Eustorgio Salgar, Napoleón Borrero and José María Campo Serrano.

His remains are now in the Panteon de los Proceres Cemetery in Popayán (Cauca). This burial ground was inaugurated by Guillermo León Valencia in 1940.