Pereda, Setembrino Ezequiel (1859–1933)

Setembrino Pereda was a Uruguayan congressman and historian. He was born in Paysandú, into a family of cattle ranchers. He actively participated in Freemasonry and in politics as a militant of the Constitutional Party until it was dissolved. A lifelong liberal, Pereda continued to be active in politics as a member of the Colorado Party. He served in Congress as a representative of Paysandú for two terms, from 1899 to 1905.

Pereda was also a historian and a publicist. His writings revolved around three main topics: He produced one of the first documented historical works on Paysandú; he wrote biographies of two crucial Uruguayan leaders, José Gervasio Artigas and Fructuoso Rivero; and lastly, from his fascination with the Italian nationalist Garibaldi, who had fought for Uruguay while in exile from his native country, he wrote a massive study of Garibaldi's impact on Uruguayan political life. Almost blind, Pereda completed only three volumes of this work, of a planned six. Because of his commitment to advancing knowledge of local history and culture, the Paysandú city government honored Pereda in several ways: The main street carries his name, as does the public library.

See alsoArtigas, José Gervasio; Garibaldi, Giuseppe; Paysandú; Uruguay, Political Parties: Colorado Party; Uruguay: The Twentieth Century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pereda, Setembrino. Garibaldi en el Uruguay. Montevideo: El Siglo Ilustrado, 1914–1916.

Pereda, Setembrino. Artigas, 1784–1850. Montevideo: El Siglo Ilustrado, 1930.

Pías, Miguel Angel. Crónicas sanduceras. Montevideo: Cámara de Representantes, 2000.

Schulkin, Augusto. Historia de Paysandú: Diccionario biográfico. Buenos Aires: Von Roseen, 1967.

                                   Valeria Manzano