Miguel de la Torre

Miguel de la Torre y Pando
Portrait of de la Torre by Eliab Metcalf, 1826
96th Governor of Puerto Rico
In office 17 January 1822 – 1837
Captain General of Venezuela
In office 1820–1822
Preceded by	Pablo Morillo
Succeeded by	Francisco Tomás Morales
Personal details
Born	13 December 1786 Bernales, Basque Country, Spain
Died	1843 Madrid, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Profession	General, Governor-General of Puerto Rico
Religion	Roman Catholic

Miguel de la Torre y Pando, conde de Torrepando (13 December 1786, in Bernales – 1843, in Madrid) was a Spanish General, Governor and Captain General, who served in Spain, Venezuela, Colombia and Puerto Rico during the Spanish American wars of independence and after.

At the age of fourteen he joined the Spanish Army as a soldier during the War of the Second Coalition and quickly distinguished himself and four years later he joined the Guardia de Corps. He fought well during the Spanish War of Independence, reaching the level of colonel by 1814. The following year he was assigned to the military expedition to South America led by Pablo Morillo, and participated in the Spanish reconquest of New Granada.

Promoted to brigadier after New Granada was subdued, La Torre led a royalist army into the Colombian and Venezuelan llanos. There he unsuccessfully defended Angostura against Manuel Piar in April 1817, and led the loyalist forces down the Orinoco River as they fought their way to the Atlantic Ocean. For the next three years he continued to serve in the Spanish army of Venezuela. During this period he married a Criolla, María de la Concepción Vegas y Rodríguez del Toro, a member of the powerful Rodríguez del Toro family and cousin once removed to Bolívar's late wife, Maria Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alayza, and fourth cousin to Bolívar himself.