José Hilario López Valdéz
| José Hilario López | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 9th President of the Republic of the New Granada | |
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In office 1 April 1849 – 1 April 1853 |
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| Preceded by | Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera |
| Succeeded by | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 18, 1798 Popayán, Cauca |
| Died | November 27, 1869 (aged 71) Campoalegre, Campoalegre, Huila |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | María Dorotea Durán Borrero |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
José Hilario López Valdés (18 February 1798, Popayán, Cauca – 27 November 1869, Campoalegre, Huila) was a Colombian politician and military officer. He was the President of Colombia between 1849 and 1853.
The son of José Casimiro López and Rafaela Valdés y Fernández, José, completed his primary education in the seminary of Popayán under the supervision of scholar, . At age 14, he ended his education to join the revolutionary army.
López joined the revolutionary army as a cadet, at the age of 14. He participated in military combat in the battle of Alto Palacé (30 December 1813), the battle of (January 1814), battle of Tacines (9 May 1814) and the battle of Pasto (10 May 1813). During the battle of La Cuchilla del Tambo, López was taken prisoner by the Spanish Army.
López was sent to Bogotá, where he was tried by court martial and was found guilty of treason against the Crown and sentenced to death. His death sentence was commuted in exchange for his service to the royal army. As a prisoner of war, he was assigned to the cobblestone duty of the Plaza Mayor de Bogotá and in the shooting squadron to execute insurgent leaders. On 28 June 1819, López was promised his freedom after his aunt Eusebia Caicedo intervened on his behalf. But it was not until 24 July 1819 that he was pardoned and freed.
In 1820, López met General Simón Bolívar, who appointed him lieutenant of the then newly created "Boyacá Battalion". While in the town of La Mesa, López saw his former prison mate, Vicente Azuero, among the prisoners of war and interceded for his release. López was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Mayor and subsequently, Captain. In that capacity, López participated in the "Northern Campaign" offensive in what is now Venezuelan territory.
Once the campaign ended in February 1823, López returned to Bogotá and was appointed by General Francisco de Paula Santander as Military Chief of the province of Cauca. On 6 April 1823, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
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