Andrés del Valle

Who was Andrés del Valle?

Andrés del Valle Rodríguez was President of El Salvador from February 1st until May 1st, 1876.

His father Fernando del Valle was born in Santander and had made his fortune in trade and agriculture. Andrés del Valle was a member of the constitutional assembly from 1872 until 1873. In 1874 he became senator for the Santa Ana Department. In 1875 he was vice-chairman of the Senate and chairman of the parliament. On March 1st 1875 the parliament called for elections on the first Sunday of December that year.

Andres was elected for the administration between February 1st 1876 and February 1st 1880. His vice-president was the predecessor, Santiago Gonzalez Portillo. A government loan of a half a million USD was enforced on the same day.

Justo Rufino Barrios Auyón, then president of Guatemala, was skeptical, because Santiago Gonzales supported political refugees from Guatemala. He also suspected Ponciano Leiva from Honduras to be planning to overthrow him.

Barrios let Valle know, that in case he planned to continue this course, he would see to it that the Guatemalan government would support José María Medina from Honduras in overthrowing Ponciano Leiva.