Vicente Cerna
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His Excellency Field Marshal Vicente Cerna y Cerna |
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| 7th President of Guatemala | |
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In office 24 May 1865 – 29 June 1871 |
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| Preceded by | Pedro de Aycinena y Piñol |
| Succeeded by | Miguel García Granados |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
22 January 1815 Ipala, Chiquimula |
| Died | 27 June 1885 (aged 70) Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Political party | Partido Conservador |
Vicente Cerna y Cerna (22 January 1815 - 27 June 1885) was president of Guatemala from 24 May 1865 to 29 June 1871. Loyal friend and comrade of Rafael Carrera, was appointed army's Field Marshal after Carraera's victory against Salvadorian leader Gerardo Barrios in 1863. He was appointed Carrera's successor after the caudillo's death in 1865 even though Guatemalan leaders would have preferred Field Marshal José Víctor Zavala.
After the presidential elections of 1869, that Cerna won over liberal candidate Zavala, there were severe fraud accusations, and from then on Cerna's presidency was marred by constant uprising until he was eventually ousted by the liberal leaders Miguel Garcia Granados and Justo Rufino Barrios on 30 June 1871
Cerna y Cerna was from Ipala, Chiquimula where he later served as major and "Corregidor". He was a loyal friend and camarade of Rafael Carrera and was a distinguished officer of the caudillo's army. He was one of the Guatemalan officers in the Battle of La Arada as colonel, when he was Chiquimula in 1851. Later on, he was among those who signed the act that declared Carrera, "Guatemalan president for life" in 1854. His high army and government ranks allowed him to reach the presidency after Carrera's death in 1865.
Salvadorian president Doroteo Vasconcelos granted asylum to many Guatemalan liberals, among which was José Francisco Barrundia who started a newspaper to attack Carrera's conservative regime. Vasconcelos also supplied money and weapons and supported for a whole year the rebels of "La Montaña" in the east of Guatemala. By the en of 1850, Vasconcelos grew tired of the slow war against Guatemala and decided to act openly. Then, he started a liberal crusade against the conservative regime of Guatemala and invited Honduras and Nicaragua to join; however, only Honduran president Juan Lindo accepted to join the invasion. Meanwhile, in Guatemala, where they well aware of Vasconcelos' plans, president Paredes made the necessary preparations for an invasion and archbishop Francisco de Paula García Peláez asked his archdioceses to pray for peace.
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