Pedro Noel Espina He was a military man and politician born in Colombia in 1858. Son of a prime minister, he himself held that same position between 1922 and 1926. In addition to his political career, he stood out for his work as a businessman, especially for his contribution to the cultivation of coffee. in the country.
A member of the conservatives, his political activity began in 1890, as a member of the Assembly of Antioquia. Later, he was elected senator and, after participating in the Thousand Days War, Minister of War. In 1903, he was part of the team that negotiated with the United States after the separation of Panama from Colombia..
In addition to those political positions, Espina stood out for his role as a businessman. In his companies, both livestock and textile or coffee, he implemented technical changes that allowed him to improve his results. Likewise, he was rector of the School of Mining of Medellín.
Espina took office as president in 1922 and, during his four years in office, focused on trying to modernize the country. To do this, he promulgated measures that favored its industrialization, improved communications and education, founded the Bank of the Republic and began the exploitation of oil..
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Pedro Nel Ignacio Tomás de Villanueva Ospina Vásquez, full name of the future politician, was born on September 18, 1858, in Bogotá, Colombia. At the time of his birth, his father, Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, was president of the country.
The armed uprising headed by Tomás Cipriano Mosquera in 1860 caused that, the following year, his father was overthrown and sentenced to death. However, the family managed to escape and resided for some years in different countries of Central America..
During his stay abroad, a group of Jesuits was in charge of giving him primary education. After completing this educational stage, as well as high school, he traveled to the United States together with his brothers to train in civil engineering.
When he was finally able to return to Colombia, in 1871, the young Ospina continued his training at the University of Antioquia, where he studied medicine and literature..
At the outbreak of the civil war in 1876, he was unable to complete those studies. Ospina then enlisted in the conservative army. His first destination was Cauca and, later, he took part in battles such as Los Chancos and Arenillo, as well as in the victories against the Liberals in Antioquia and Manizales..
The end of the conflict did not mean that the country was pacified, but rather that it remained immersed in a climate of partisan confrontations. Because of these, Ospina moved back to the United States, where he obtained a degree in Mining Engineer from the University of Berkeley..
Later, he made a tour of Europe in order to continue training and learn first-hand about the latest developments in the industry..
Pedro Nel Ospina returned to Colombia in 1882. Together with some of his brothers he directed the School of Mines and, later, he exercised the direction of a railway company. Likewise, it introduced new irrigation systems in the country to improve coffee cultivation..
In 1884, a new civil war started in the country. Ospina, within the conservative side, traveled to the United States with the mission of acquiring weapons. The conflict ended with the victory of the conservatives, led by Rafael Núñez.
Pedro Nel Ospina later worked as an English teacher, first, and as rector of the School of Mines of Medellín.
During all that time, Ospina did not neglect her private business. Thus, he bought land in the department of Córdoba and began intensive livestock farming.
The future president and his brothers founded the Ospina Hermanos company, which promoted the cultivation of coffee in the country and other areas of Central America. Thanks to his initiatives, the company began to export this product to Europe. In addition, it made investments in several infrastructure improvement projects.
His entry into the Assembly of Antioquia, in 1890, marked the moment in which he decided to give priority to his political career, although without ceasing to attend to his private business..
Pedro Nel Ospina also participated in the Thousand Day War, one of the bloodiest that ravaged the country. This civil confrontation began in 1899 and, again, pitted conservatives and liberals.
The politician reached the rank of general in chief of the Atlantic and managed to defeat the liberal troops commanded by Rafael Uribe Uribe in 1901. However, Ospina had to abandon the war for health reasons.
When he was recovered, José Manuel Marroquín, who had become president in 1900, even during the conflict, appointed him Minister of War.
Disagreements within the conservative camp itself led several important figures, including Ospina, to organize a coup against Marroquín. This, however, discovered the conspiracy and its participants had to go into exile.
On this occasion, Ospina spent his exile between Mexico, Europe and the United States. Finally, in 1902, he returned to Medellín to work in his textile factory and on his coffee farms. That same year, he married Carolina Vásquez.
Back in political activity, Ospina was part of the 1903 commission sent to negotiate with the United States after the separation of Panama from Colombia. This mission was unsuccessful and the separation was formalized.
That same year, Ospina held a seat in the country's Senate, where he remained until 1910. In that same period, after Rafael Reyes left the presidency in 1909, he was a member of the National Constituent Assembly..
His next position was as Colombian Ambassador to Washington (USA). Later, he was sent to occupy the embassies of Brussels (Belgium) and Amsterdam (Netherlands).
In 1913, again in Colombia, he was a representative in the Chamber. Five years later, he became governor of Antioch. His actions in that position were essential for him to be appointed presidential candidate..
His opportunity to become president of the country came in 1922. Ospina stood in the elections for the Conservative Party and clearly defeated his liberal opponent..
During his tenure, the politician gave priority to managing to end the partisan confrontations that had been constant for decades. In addition, he tried to modernize and industrialize the country.
His presidential period ended on August 7, 1926. His replacement was Miguel Abadía Méndez, who did not have to compete against any liberal candidate..
Ospina did not abandon his political activity after leaving the presidency. Thus, he was elected deputy, but he was only able to attend the Assembly for one day, as he was seriously ill. His death occurred on July 1, 1927, in Medellín, at the age of 68..
Pedro Nel Ospina was president of Colombia between 1922 and 1926. During those years, he tried to modernize the country, get closer to the liberals and improve the economy.
The economic situation of the country was, after years of civil war, quite precarious. The president was distinguished by his good budgetary control and efficiency in investing public funds.
Since he assumed the presidency, Ospina tried to unify the different sectors that existed within the government itself. In his attempt to end the partisan confrontation that plagued the country, he offered the liberals to negotiate a constitution that would please everyone and even some positions in his cabinet. However, he did not get them to accept.
In other respects, Ospina tried to improve the country's economy, but the results were not as desired. Its measures favorable to industrialization and modernization of infrastructures gave good results, but had a negative effect on the accounts of Colombia..
In this way, its investment policies led to it having to request a large number of loans, which caused the Colombian debt to grow notably. This eventually caused a sharp rise in inflation..
Other priorities that the president set for his term was improving communications. To achieve this, he used what was obtained from the United States as compensation after the independence of Panama, as well as loans from abroad..
The arrival of that money caused this stage to be known as "the dance of millions". Thanks to this investment, the kilometers of railway line multiplied, which also favored coffee exports.
In addition, he laid the foundations to build some docks and, during his tenure, the first airline in Latin America was founded..
Ospina was responsible for the arrival in Colombia of the Kemmerer Mission, a group of foreign experts in economics who had to collaborate to improve the country's economic situation..
As a result of the proposals of that mission, the president ordered the founding of the Banco de la República, the Comptroller General of the Republic and the Banco Agrícola Hipotecario. The latter was especially important for improving economic results.
Despite these achievements, at the end of its government stage, the Colombian economy had a serious problem: facing the debt contracted to carry out investments and the growth of inflation. According to many historians, Colombia was practically in technical bankruptcy.
During his government, Colombia received 25 million dollars corresponding to the compensation agreed with the United States for the conflict that ended with the separation of Panama.
Ospina used that money to improve the country's infrastructure, especially in the field of communications..
The results of the foreign policy of the Pedro Nel Ospina government were remarkable. In 1924, it established diplomatic relations with Panama, in an agreement in which the territorial limits were definitively set..
Likewise, it also managed to end territorial disputes with Venezuela by delimiting the border between the two countries..
Under his presidency, Colombia expanded free education to more sectors of the population. The president, for this, promulgated a law of public instruction that favored the lower classes.
On the other hand, Ospina also worried about health. Among other measures, he reformed the law dealing with oral hygiene and founded the National Hygiene Center to promote scientific research.
The construction of infrastructures to improve communications and commerce was one of Ospina's priorities. He himself has gone down in history as the first president to use an official plane to travel around the different regions of the country..
His public works plan included the expansion of the railways. In a few years, the kilometers connected by this means of transport went from 900 to 2,700. This not only favored personal mobility, but was also essential for coffee exports to grow..
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