Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña

Guerrero began his military career in 1810 and joined the independence movement under José María Morelos. After the main forces of the rebels were defeated in 1815, Guerrero continued guerrilla against the Spaniards until 1821 when Mexico achieved independence. He served as a substitute member (miembro suplente) of the Supreme Executive Power (2 Jul 1823 - 10 Oct 1824), created after the abdication of Emperor Augustín de Iturbide. In the election held on 1 Sep 1828, in which the state legislatures voted for president, the conservative Manuel Gómez Pedraza received eleven votes against the nine votes cast for the liberal candidate Vicente Guerrero and six for Anastasio Bustamante. The liberals rather than accepting the victory decided to stage a coup with Antonio López de Santa Anna as their leader, who announced the Plan de Perote in support of Guerrero. Liberal revolts then broke out all over Mexico. Gómez Pedraza was forced to flee the country (3 Dec 1828). The Congress nullified the votes for Gómez Pedraza and gave the presidency to Guerrero and vice presidency to Bustamante on 12 Jan 1829. Guerrero abolished the slavery in Mexico (1829). A bill proposing to expel every Spaniard from Mexico caused a Spanish invasion (27 Jul 1829), which was repelled, but Guerrero refused to give back the dictatorial powers that he had been granted (25 Aug 1829) and this allowed vice president Bustamante to pose as a champion of the constitution and administer the Plan de Jalapa (4/5 Dec 1829) designed to depose Guerrero. On 16 Dec 1829, Guerrero issued a decree indicating the absolute necessity of his commanding the army in order to suppress the insurrection. On 18 Dec 1829 he passed the presidency to the Minister of Interior José María Bocanegra, who was deposed within a week and the Congress entrusted Bustamante with the executive power. Guerrero was declared unfit to govern in the decree issued by the Congress on 4 Feb 1830. In response, he initiated a counter-revolution which lasted through the year 1830. Guerrero was captured in January 1831, condemned to death by a council of war and executed on 14 Feb 1831.