VICENTE RAMÓN ROCA: BIOGRAPHY, YOUTH AND POLITICAL EVOLUTION - HISTORY - 2024

Vicente Ramón Roca (1792-1858) was an Ecuadorian revolutionary and politician, known for having been the President of the Republic of Ecuador from 1845 to 1849. Before he had participated as leader of the Marcista Revolution, together with José Joaquín de Olmedo and Diego Noboa, which resulted in the overthrow and flight of authoritarian President Juan José Flores.

The implementation of a new Constitution (1845), as well as new measures of national importance, place the administration of Ramón Roca among the most effective in Ecuador.

Portrait of Vicente Ramón Roca

During his life he surrounded himself with other great figures in the history of Latin America such as Simón Bolívar. In addition, nations such as Gran Colombia awarded him recognition for his liberating and anti-oppression acts and thoughts.

Biography

Early years and youth

Ramón Roca was born in Guayaquil in 1792, the son of Commander Bernardo Roca y Liceras and Ignacia Rodríguez y Carrascal. During his childhood he had an informal education, applied and directed by his father, so he did not attend secondary or higher education.

His educational training was not focused on political or military knowledge, which would result in Ramón Roca dedicating himself to commerce during the first adult stage of his life.

Despite this, the steadfastness of his father's values ​​instilled in him made him a man of tenacious character and ideas.

Political concerns

During his twenties, and as a relatively successful merchant, Vicente Ramón Roca found himself facing the first events that would bring him closer to identifying and fighting for the freedom and independence of his nation.

It was the year 1816 when Ramón Roca participated in a resistance fight, deceived by the Spanish authorities, against an Argentine general who planned to promote the libertarian insurrection in Ecuadorian territory.

Once aware of the true intentions of the supposed "invader", the young Vicente Ramón Roca allowed himself to be attracted by the principles of freedom.

Although he belonged to a wealthy family, the independence ideas that traveled from North America to the young nations of the south were enough for Ramón Roca to express his position in front of the Spanish Crown, and to be imprisoned because of this.

Revolution of October 9, 1820

This date, corresponding to the Independence of Guayaquil, was the first step towards the Independence of Ecuador.

There were several antecedents to achieve the separation with the Spanish Empire, but it was not until the arrival in Guayaquil of Marshal Antonio José de Sucre that there was no strong opposition that could manage independence.

Much of the success was due to how Sucre managed to gather urban militias and economic support such as that provided by Vicente Ramón Roca.

His contribution, along with those of other notable figures such as Joaquín Olmedo and José de Villamil, were crucial for the propagation of the independence feeling among Guayaquil and later in Quito.

After the events that would result in the war of independence, and following the independentist outposts in the rest of the continent, Ramón Roca agreed to annex the recently liberated region to the great nation that was conformed under the hands of Bolívar and others: the Great Colombia.

Flag adopted by the city of Guayaquil after the Revolution. Orange Tuesday at English Wikipedia (Original text: Orange Tuesday (talk)) / Public domain

Public and political career

First public offices

Once the independence disputes ended, Ramón Roca was appointed as a deputy and senator on several occasions, coming to participate as a representative of Guayaquil in the first constituent process promoted by General Juan José Flores, also participating during his government.

He came to exercise the position of Governor of the Province of Guayas, where he had previously held positions as prefect, during the first government of Vicente Rocafuerte.

Between 1830 and 1840 he held the positions of Deputy to Congress and Senator for Guayaquil on several occasions, being a member of the Liberal Party.

During the second government of Juan José Flores, Ramón Roca expressed his disagreement with tax and authoritarian measures that gave rise to the gestation of the movement that would be known as the Marcista Revolution, which would result in a triumvirate and, eventually, in the drafting of a new Constitution and the arrival to the Presidency of Ramón Roca.

Marcist Revolution and Triumvirate

The new constitutional measures that Flores imposed prompted Ramón Roca, Olmedo and Noboa, together with the Guayaquil civil and commercial society that was constrained by these new guidelines, to carry out a revolutionary movement that would result in the overthrow of General Flores.

Top left: José Joaquín de Olmedo. Bottom left: Diego Noboa. Right: Juan José Flores. The protagonists of the Marcista Revolution together with Vicente Ramón Roca. Images taken from wikimediacommons.

After the fall of Flores in 1845, Vicente Ramón Roca, along with Olmedo and Noboa, formed a provisional government board based in Cuenca. This would be in charge of governing and redrafting a Constitution, in order to elect the next constitutional President of the Republic of Ecuador.

This meeting, where the regions of Cuenca, Quito and Guayaquil were represented, was what became known as the Triunvirato; a process of transition towards a more solid democratic system.

Seeking to win over the rest of the national territory and, resisting the internal attacks promoted by the opposition, the Triumvirate triumphed by negotiating the exile of Juan José Flores under certain conditions agreed upon by both parties.

Once carried out, Vicente Ramón Roca presented his candidacy for the presidency, competing against José Joaquín de Olmedo, of which he was the winner.

Presidency

Vicente Ramón Roca came to the Presidency of Ecuador on December 3, 1845. He was characterized by maintaining a position faithfully attached to the Constitution and by developing internal policies that promoted commercial development in unexploited regions of the national territory.

Vicente Ramón Roca invested as President. Presidency of Ecuador / Public domain

In his management, a great emphasis was placed on the development of public infrastructures, such as the Government Palace or the regional Government Houses, as well as on industrial investment, opening the first centers of foundry and mechanical production.

He supported educational development through Sunday schools and sought to ease diplomatic tensions with other Latin American regions and the rest of the world.

Vicente Ramón Roca's management ended in 1849. He went into exile in Peru, being persecuted and threatened by detractors of his ideas. He returned to Ecuador impoverished and died in Guayaquil on February 23, 1858, at the age of 65 due to pneumonia.

Before he had married in 1820 with Juana Andrade Fuente Fría, daughter of landowners, with whom he had a son, Juan Emilio Roca y Andrade.

References

1. Encyclopedia of Ecuador. (sf). History of Ecuador - Revolution of October 9, 1820. Obtained from Encilopedia del Ecuador: encyclopediadelecuador.com.
2. Encyclopedia of Ecuador. (sf). Historical Characters - Roca and Rodriguez Vicente Ramón. Obtained from Encyclopedia of Ecuador: encyclopediadelecuador.com-
3. Moncayo, P. (1886). Ecuador from 1825 to 1875. Guayaquil: National Printing Office.
4. Saa, JL (nd). Presidents of Ecuador. Obtained from Tren Andino: trenandino.com.