José Plácido Caamaño (5 October 1837-31 December 1900) was President of Ecuador from 15 October 1883 to 30 June 1888, succeeding Ignacio de Veintemilla and preceding Pedro Jose Cevallos.
Biography[]
José Plácido Caamaño was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 1837, and he ran a cocoa plantation and became a wealthy merchant before participating in Ignacio de Veintemilla's revolution in 1876. His mismanagement of agricultural exports led to his alienation from the liberals and his exile to Lima. In 1883, he helped overthrow Veintemilla's dictatorship and took over as President, serving from 1883 to 1888. He joined the moderate Progressive Party of Ecuador in 1888, having previously been a Conservative. Caamaño survived an 1886 assassination attempt, and he built new telegraphs, railways, colleges, and schools before leaving office. He later served as Ambassador to the United States from 1889 to 1890, and he died in 1900.