Manuel Murillo Toro | |
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9th President of the United States of Colombia | |
In office 1 April 1872 – 1 April 1874 |
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Preceded by | Eustorgio Salgar |
Succeeded by | Santiago Pérez |
15th President of Colombia | |
In office 8 April 1864 – 1 April 1866 |
|
Preceded by | Mariano Ospina Rodríguez |
Succeeded by | Santos Acosta |
2nd President of the Sovereign State of Santander | |
In office 23 October 1857 – 10 January 1859 |
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Preceded by | Estanislao Silva Calderón |
Succeeded by | Ulpiano Valenzuela |
Secretary of Finance | |
In office 1849–1853 |
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President | José Hilario López |
4th Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of New Granada to Venezuela | |
In office 1867–1869 |
|
President | Santos Acosta Castillo |
In office 1874–1876 |
|
President | Santiago Pérez |
Preceded by | Antonio María Pradilla |
Succeeded by | José Sergio Camargo Pinzón |
Personal details | |
Born |
Chaparral, Tolima |
1 January 1816
Died | 26 December 1880 Bogotá, Cundinamarca, United States of Colombia |
(aged 64)
Nationality | Colombian |
Political party | Liberal |
Spouse(s) | Ana Roma y Cabarcas |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Manuel Murillo Toro (1816–1880) was a Colombian politician and statesman, who served as President of the United States of Colombia (present day Colombia) on two occasions, first from 1864 to 1866, and again between 1872 and 1874.
Murillo was born in the town of Chaparral, Tolima on January 1, 1816. He received a law degree from the University of Bogotá. He died in Bogotá, Cundinamarca, on December 26, 1880.
His articles in the daily press attracted attention by their energetic opposition to the Conservative government of José Ignacio de Márquez from 1837 to 1840. After the revolution of the latter year he became editor of the Gaceta Mercantil de Santa Marta, which exercised a great influence, and paved the way for the triumph of the Partido Liberal Colombiano in the elections of 1849. He was elected to the chamber of representatives, and soon attained a reputation for eloquence. He was called to serve as Secretary of State and then Secretary of the Treasury and during the administration of President José Hilario López.
As Secretary of the Treasury, he established liberty of industry and the decentralization of the provincial revenues, and thus prepared the way for the future federal institutions. At the same time, he defended the administration in the press, and initiated the greater part of the progressive reforms that were established by it, such as the abolition of slavery, abolition of the death penalty for political crimes and abolition of several fiscal monopolies. He advocated liberty of the press, and the reform of the civil code.
In 1852 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the vice presidency of the republic. When the Liberal party lost power he returned to journalism, and, except during the short time that he was state executive for Santander, he sustained an energetic opposition to the Conservative government. When President Mariano Ospina Rodríguez was overthrown, and the federation proclaimed by the constituent convention of Rio Negro, 4 February 1863, Murillo was appointed minister to Europe, and afterward to the United States.