Manuel de Ascazubi y Matheu was an Ecuadorian politician who held the positions of President, Vice President, Mayor, Senator and Ambassador of his country, born in Quito on December 30, 1804.
Although he was a constitutional president, he was never elected, since he came to power in 3 short terms thanks to various electoral technicalities.
He is recognized as one of the largest and most prolific political figures in his country in the nineteenth century, since even with little time in office as President of Ecuador, he made important contributions to the nation in economic, fiscal, and tax matters. education and infrastructure.
He died in 1876 at the age of 72 due to pneumonia.
Biography
Ascázubi was the son of José Javier de Ascázubi and Doña Mariana de Matheu, and from an early age he had to face the absence of his parents.
His father was persecuted for having participated in the first meeting of the Autonomous Government of Quito and remained a fugitive until practically the end of his life, while his mother died when Ascázubi was just 9 years old.
When he was orphaned his education was incomplete, however he was a recognized self-taught. From a young age he was interested in the politics of his country, strongly influenced by the political persecution suffered by his father in the fight for freedom in Ecuador.
Presidency of Manuel de Ascázubi
After being a senator in 1846 and becoming Vice President in 1847, a technical tie in the presidential elections between Antonio Elizalde and Diego Noboa motivated the legislative congress to provisionally designate Ascázubi to serve as Interim Constitutional President in 1848.
Although he was not elected by popular vote, he was the fifth constitutional President in the history of Ecuador. He was in charge of the Executive Power for 3 brief periods:
-Between February and April 1848.
-July and August 1849.
-October 1849 and March 1850, when a coup d'etat placed Diego Noboa as the first national president.
Quito Mayor's Office
At the end of 1860, he was chosen as Mayor of Quito for the period January-December 1861, a position that he carried out in its entirety, carrying out important infrastructure works.
The mayor of Quito would be the last political position that Manuel de Ascázubi would occupy in his country, since between 1865 and 1868 he acted as ambassador to Argentina.
Contributions
During his tenures, an element that always characterized Ascázubi was his incredible work ethic, which is why he was highly respected by the Ecuadorian people and most of the political leadership.
His professionalism, uprightness and genuine love for the country have placed him as one of the best political examples of his generation.
It allocated a large part of Ecuador's resources to improvements for citizens, including construction of schools, improvement of hospitals and outpatient centers, bridges and roads, as well as the founding of the School of Obstetrics in Cuenca.
He cleaned up the local economy by restoring public credit and treating national accounts in a much more public and transparent way. It also promoted culture and art, especially in educational centers with younger people.
References
- Manuel de Ascazubi and Matheu (April 18, 2010). Retrieved on December 23, 2017, from Presidential Ecuador.
- Manuel de Ascazubi (nd). Retrieved on December 23, 2017, from Academic.
- Manuel de Ascázubi (United Kingdom of Ecuador) (nd). Retrieved on December 23, 2017, from Historia Alterntiva.
- Manuel Ascazubi Matheu (nd). Retrieved on December 23, 2017, from EcuRed.
- List of Presidents of Ecuador (nd). Retrieved on December 23, 2017, from Ecuaworld.