Gabriel Valencia

Gabriel Valencia (1799–1848) was a Mexican soldier in the early years of the Republic. From December 30, 1845 to January 2, 1846 he served as interim president of Mexico.

Valencia joined the Spanish colonial army before Mexican independence, but transferred his allegiance to the Mexican army in 1821. He made friends in the military and government, becoming a power in Mexican politics. He forged an uneasy alliance with Antonio López de Santa Anna, a powerful figure repeatedly in and out of the presidency during this period.

In 1840 and 1841 there were several related rebellions against Anastasio Bustamante, then in his third period as president of Mexico. Bustamante was an adherent of the centralist party. On July 15, 1840, soldiers led by rebellious General José Urrea and Valentín Gómez Farías took the presidential palace and captured President Bustamante, later releasing him. The chief of the general staff, General Gabriel Valencia, helped subdue the revolt.^[1]

Shortly thereafter, Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga rose against Bustamante in Guadalajara, Juan N. Álvarez in the south, and López de Santa Anna in Perote, Veracruz. This time, on September 4, 1841, Valencia joined the rebellion by publishing the Plan de la Ciudadela.

The situation was now serious for Bustamante, himself a general. He took the field to fight the rebels, but was defeated. Bustamante went into exile in Europe for a second time (in Italy). The generals arrayed against him then reached a political agreement proclaimed as the Plan de Tacubaya. This plan proclaimed the presidency vacant and named a provisional president to call elections for a constituent congress. This provisional president was, once again, López de Santa Anna. This was his sixth term as president.

After several other changes in the office of president (including two more intervals by Santa Anna), José Joaquín de Herrera became interim president on December 17, 1844. He became constitutional president on September 16, 1845. Two days before, General Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga again revolted, in opposition to Herrera.

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