Juan Manuel Rodríguez

Juan Manuel Rodríguez (31 December 1771 – 1847) was a Salvadoran revolutionary and politician who served as the 1st Head of State of El Salvador within the Federal Republic of Central America in 1824. He is considered a founding father of the nation for his role in the independence movements against the Spanish Empire and the First Mexican Empire.

He was born in San Salvador to Pedro Delgado and Josefa Rodríguez.

Early career Leaders of the "Cry for Independence" on 5 November 1811 in San Salvador, including José Matías Delgado, Manuel José Arce, and Juan Manuel Rodríguez. (Painting by Luis Vergara Ahumada). Rodríguez was a primary leader of the independence movements in 1811 and 1814, alongside Father José Matías Delgado and Manuel José Arce. He served as the secretary of the junta that functioned as the first independent government of the province in November 1811. Elected as mayor of San Salvador in 1814, he supported the insurrection of January 24, 1814. Following the suppression of the movement, he was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison, but was eventually pardoned in 1819.

In November 1821, he was appointed to the governing body of the Province of El Salvador. In January 1822, he signed the act of separation from the Kingdom of Guatemala to oppose incorporation into the First Mexican Empire. He was subsequently commissioned to Washington, D.C., to negotiate the potential admission of El Salvador to the United States as a protective measure against Mexican expansion, an initiative that ended with the fall of the empire in 1823.

As Head of State of El Salvador On 22 April 1824, the constituent assembly elected Rodríguez as the 1st Head of State. On the following day, he formally enacted the abolition of slavery in the state, making El Salvador one of the first territories in the Americas to do so. His administration also decreed the foundation of the Diocese of San Salvador, appointing José Matías Delgado as the first bishop.

In May 1824, Rodríguez oversaw the publication and swearing-in of the first State Constitution. He established the Supreme Court of Justice and organized the first constitutional elections. These elections were won by Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz as Head of State and Mariano Prado as Vice-Head of State. On 1 October 1824, Rodríguez transferred executive power to Prado, who served until Villacorta's inauguration in December.

During his tenure, the first official printing press in El Salvador began operations in June 1824, printing the state's first newspaper, El Semanario Político Mercantil, which debuted on 31 July 1824.

Later life After years of political service and a stint as Treasury Secretary, Rodríguez retired to his hacienda "San Jerónimo" near Cojutepeque. In his final years, he took minor orders with the Franciscans and dedicated himself to charitable works. He died of cholera in 1847.