Juan Francisco de Vidal (2 April 1800-23 September 1863) was President of Peru from 20 October 1842 to 15 March 1843, succeeding Manuel Menendez and preceding Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco.
Biography[]
Juan Francisco de Vidal was born in Lima, Peru in 1800, and he fought alongside Chilean patriot forces during the Chilean War of Independence and the Peruvian War of Independence. He went on to serve in Jose de San Martin's Peruvian Legion at the Battle of Macacona in 1822, and he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1823 and led guerrillas to threaten the Spanish rearguard before the Battle of Junin. He later crushed an indigenous Royalist uprising in 1828, served under Jose de la Mar at the Battle of Tarqui, and became a deputy in 1833. Vidal captured Felipe Santiago Salaverry in 1834 as part of Luis Jose de Orbegoso's seizure of power. He later fought for North Peru during the War of the Confederation, including the Battle of Yungay in 1839. After the Battle of Ingavi in 1841, Vidal helped Manuel Menendez suppress several uprisings before seizing power in 1842 and attempting to restore stability to the government. He ultimately ceded power to Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco rather than fight a civil war and was exiled to Chile. He later returned to Peru and supported Domingo Nieto, Manuel de Mendiburu, and Ramon Castilla's constitutional movement. He became Governor of Callao in 1854, and he died in 1863.