Rafael Guirola Duke

Rafael Guirola Duke (4 October 1864 – 23 April 1919) was a Salvadoran politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Finance from 1892 to 1894 and from 1911 to 1913.

Career

Rafael Guirola Duke was born on 4 October 1864 in Zacatecoluca, El Salvador. His parents were Ángel Guirola (the acting president of El Salvador in 1884) and Cordelia Duke Alexander from Kingston, Jamaica. Guirola had 6 siblings: José Adalberto, Ángel, Eduardo, Gertrudis, Cordelia Julia, and Matilde.

From 1892 to 1884, Guirola served as minister of finance and public credit under President General Carlos Ezeta. Guirola was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador in 1895. Guirola ran in the 1907 presidential election. He only won 16 votes, all from La Libertad, and finished in fourth place.

From March 1911 to February 1913, Guirola served as minister of finance and public credit under President Manuel Enrique Araujo. Araujo also appointed Guirola as El Salvador's ambassador to Belgium, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. During a state visit to Spain, King Alfonso XIII awarded Guirola the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

In 1916, Guirola was El Salvador's ambassador to Costa Rica. Guirola was elected as the honorary president of the Subcommittee of Physical Culture in 1918.

Guirola died on 23 April 1919 in Nueva San Salvador, El Salvador (modern-day Santa Tecla).

Personal life

Guirola married Claudia Matamoros, a Costa Rican woman.

Guirola owned four coffee plantations in Nueva San Salvador known as El Paraíso, La Asunción, San Luis, and San Rafael. In 1910, these four plantations produced a combined of coffee.

Electoral history

Year Office Type Party Main opponent Party Votes for Guirola Result Swing Total % 1907 President of El Salvador General Independent Fernando Figueroa Liberal 16 0.01 4th N/A Hold