Benoît Chassériau

Benoît Chassériau (also known as Benito Chassériau or Chasserieux) (19 August 1780 – 27 September 1844) was a French diplomat, French spy and Minister of the Interior of Simón Bolívar in Cartagena, Colombia He was the father of the artist Théodore Chassériau.

Benoît Chassériau came very early in the administration and made the memorable Egypt campaign. Although very young, he administered as Financial Controller, two important provinces of Upper Egypt from 1798 to 1801 under the command of general François-Étienne Damas and then under general Augustin-Daniel Belliard.

From 1802 until 1807, he was Treasurer-General and Secretary General of the French colony, Santo Domingo. Appointed Treasurer-General during the expedition to Santo Domingo in 1802, Benoît Chassériau held the position of Secretary General in the government of general Jean-Louis Ferrand in the eastern part of Santo Domingo, ceded to France by the Treaty of Basel. During the invasion of the peninsula by the imperial armies, this part of the territory of Santo Domingo, remained more Spanish than French. Taken prisoner, Benoît Chassériau managed to escape but maritime war prevented him from returning to France. He visited the West Indies and the mainland of Spanish America. Benoit Chassériau was one of the French exiles at the origin of the city of Aigleville and the Vine and Olive Colony.

In 1813 Simón Bolívar appointed Chassériau Minister of the Interior and the Police in Cartagena, Colombia with his friend Antoine Leleux, who had the portfolio of War.

Benoît Chassériau as commander took a very active part in the first expedition led by independent against Portobelo (Panama) and Santa Marta. He left Cartagena with 460 men on board 8 schooners and attacked Portobelo (Panama) on 16 January 1814. This expedition was a failure and was rejected by the Spanish royalists controlled by governor Joaquín Rodríguez Valcárcel. The second expedition conducted in 1819 by Scottish general Gregor MacGregor was a success.

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