
Juan Jose Flores y Aramburu (19 July 1800-1 October 1864) was President of Ecuador from 13 May 1830 to 10 September 1834 (preceding Vicente Rocafuerte) and from 1 February 1839 to 6 March 1845 (succeeding Aguirre and preceding Jose Joaquin de Olmedo).
Biography[]
Juan Jose Flores was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela in 1800, the illegitimate son of a Spanish merchant. He was raised in poverty by his Venezuelan mother and joined Pablo Morillo's Royalist army at ethe age of 15. He was captured in 1817 and defected to Simon Bolivar's Patriot army, distinguishing himself at the Battle of Carabobo and making the rank of colonel at age 23. When Ecuador broke away from Gran Colombia in 1830, Flores was named supreme chief of the new country. He defeated the Bolivar loyalist Luis Urdaneta and defeated invading Colombian armies in 1832-1835. After allowing his rival Vicente Rocafuerte to serve a term as President, he returned in 1839 and oversaw social development and peace. He later reluctantly aided Colombia against Neogranadine leader Joes Maria Obando before Colombia turned on Ecuador, and his popularity at home fell. He annulled the 1835 constitution in order to extend his term, but he was overthrown by Rocafuerte and Vicente Ramon Roca in March 1845. He died of uremia in 1864 while supporting Gabriel Garcia Moreno's presidential campaign.