Carlos Soublette

Carlos Soublette
President of Venezuela
In office 11 March 1837 – 1 February 1839
Preceded by	José María Carreño
Succeeded by	José Antonio Páez
President of Venezuela
In office 28 January 1843 – 1 March 1847
Preceded by	José Antonio Páez
Succeeded by	José Tadeo Monagas
49th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela
In office 24 February 1858 – 4 April 1859
President	Julián Castro
Preceded by	Luis Sanojo
Succeeded by	Pedro de las Casas
Personal details
Born	(1789-12-15)15 December 1789 La Guaira, Vargas
Died	11 February 1870(1870-02-11) (aged 80) Caracas
Spouse(s)	Olalla Buroz y Tovar
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature
Military service
Service/branch	Venezuelan Patriotic Army
Years of service	1810-1830 (active)
Rank	Divisional General

Carlos Soublette (15 December 1789 – 11 February 1870) was President of Venezuela 1837-1839 and 1843–1847, and a hero of the Venezuelan War of Independence.

Carlos Valentín José de la Soledad Antonio del Sacramento Soublette was born in La Guaira on 15 December 1789. He was the son of Antonio Soublette y Piar, a native of Tenerife, and Teresa Jeréz de Aristeguieta. On 18 May 1810 entered at the army in the squadron of Caracas, being soon promoted like Lieutenant, commanded by Francisco de Miranda at the campaign destinated to dominate an insurrection in Valencia, from this was promoted as captain.

On 12 February 1812 he married Ollala Buroz. Also during that year, as lieutenant colonel he commanded a squadron of the republican army against the royalists forces led by Juan Domingo de Monteverde. At the end of the First Republic, he was reduced to imprisonment at the San Felipe castle of Puerto Cabello. Released in 1813, he enlisted the Liberator Army, which concluded the Admirable Campaign. Under the command of José Félix Ribas he fought in the battle of Vigirima, as well as in La Victoria in 1814. Participates at the emigration of the Republican Army to the Venezuelan east (July, 1814). On 17 August, intervened at the battle of Aragua de Barcelona. At the end of the Second Republic, he emigrated to New Grenada (Colombia) along with Simón Bolívar, participating at military actions in Santa Fe de Bogotá (December, 1814), Magdalena and Cartagena (1815).

José Antonio Páez receives from Carlos Soublette the Sword of Honor, on 19 March 1843

Carlos Soublette, Pedro Briceño Méndez, Francisco Antonio Zea, Gregor MacGregor and Luis Brión in Ocumare de la Costa

On May, 1815, he emigrated to the West Indies, being part in Haiti of the forces that in 1816 made an expedition to the Venezuelan coasts (Expedición de los Cayos). Subsequently, on 1 June during an action in Carúpano, under the direction of Manuel Piar, he acted against the left flank of the city. He was appointed Governor of the Central headquarters on 23 June and received the appointment of interim chief of General Staff, replacing Colonel Henri Ducoudray-Holstein. On 31 December 1816 he joined the forces of Simón Bolívar in Barcelona. On 2 January 1817 Bolivar named him as member of the Order of Liberators of Venezuela. On 9 January, he fought in Clarines, being defeated and injured. On March 1817, he marched with Bolívar to Guayana, being part of the operations for the liberation of this province. At that time he was sub-chief of the General Staff, serving on 3 October, as prosecutor at the trial to Manuel Piar. In the Battle of Boyacá in 1819, he commanded one of the platoons of the victorious Republican Army. On 1 May 1820, Soublette was promoted by Bolívar as Divisional General. The same day, by executive decree, he was appointed Interim Vice President of Venezuela.

In 1822 he was designated as Intendent of the Department of Venezuela and was responsible for directing the war at the province of Coro, where royalists forces operated under the command of Marshal Francisco Tomás Morales. On 20 July 1822, he destroyed in Mitare a big part of the Royalist cavalry. On 7 September he was defeated by Morales at the battle of Dabajuro. On 3 March 1825, as a result of the resignation of General Pedro Briceno Mendez, Soublette was appointed Secretary of War and Navy of the Republic of Colombia. In January 1830, at the time of separation of Venezuela from Greater Colombia, he was designated Secretary of War and Navy of Venezuela. In 1834 was postulated candidate for the Presidency, being his contenders, Bartolomé Salom, Santiago Mariño, Diego Bautista Urbaneja and José María Vargas. The elections were won by Vargas. In 1835 and 1836 served as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to England and Spain, with the important mission of the recognition of the independence of Venezuela.

In 1837 he was elected Vice-President of Venezuela, assuming the Presidency after the resignation of Vargas, being in charge until 28 January 1839. On 26 January 1843 he assumed the presidency again, after winning the elections. On 20 January 1847, he left office, assuming vice president Diego Bautista Urbaneja until 1 March 1847. In 1848 Soublette retired to his ranch in Chaguaramas . On 24 January 1848, when the attacks against Congress from José Tadeo Monagas occurs, Soublette joined José Antonio Páez as head of General Staff against Monagas government, being defeated at the battle of Araguatos, emigrating to New Grenada and settled in Santa Marta. In 1858, he returned to Venezuela, accepting the invitation of President Julián Castro. In 1860 he was Senator for the province of Caracas and Secretary of State at the government of Pedro Gual. After the triumph of the Federation, he retired from public life only to return briefly before his death, during the government of the Blue Revolution (Revolución Azul) led by José Ruperto Monagas between 1869 to 1870.

Carlos Soublette died in Caracas, on 11 February 1870 and was buried on 14 February at the Hijos de Dios cemetery. On 7 February 1970 was transferred to the National Pantheon of Venezuela.

References

• (Spanish) Carlos Soublette — Official biography.
• (Spanish) Carlos Soublette

See also

• Venezuela
• Presidents of Venezuela