Porras, José Basilio (1794–1861)

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Porras, José Basilio (1794–1861)

José Basilio Porras (b. 14 June 1794; d. 9 November 1861), Guatemalan politician. Born in Guatemala City, Porras was the illegitimate son of Micaela Porras, from a notable creole family, and Mario Álvarez de las Asturias y Arroyve. A prosperous indigo merchant and owner of a printing business, he also rose to the rank of colonel in the army. Porras was a leading proponent of independence from Spain in 1821, and he thereafter served in both federal and state legislatures and in several other government positions, and briefly as minister of war in 1848–1849. Although a liberal ideologically, he served both liberal and conservative governments until 1849, when he retired from public life. Unlike many liberal politicians, Porras remained in Guatemala throughout the Carrera dictatorship.

See alsoGuatemala .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carlos C. Haeussler Yela, Diccionario general de Guatemala, vol. 3 (1983), pp. 1264-1273.

Additional Bibliography

Woodward, Ralph Lee. Rafael Carrera y la creación de la República de Guatemala, 1821–1871. La Antigua, Guatemala: Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamérica, 2002.

                            Ralph Lee Woodward Jr.

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