JUNTA GENERAL DE AUTORIDADES

Acta de la Junta Gral. de Autoridades, funcionarios públicos, prelados eclesiásticos, gefes militares y diputaciones de las corporaciones, en que se aclamó Presidente perpetuo de la República de Guatemala al Exmo. Sr. Capitan Gral. DON RAFAEL CARRERA. [GENERAL MEETING OF AUTHORITIES. Minutes of the General Meeting of Authorities, public officials, ecclesiastical prelates, military leaders, and corporate deputies, in which His Excellency Captain General Don Rafael Carrera was proclaimed President of the Republic of Guatemala for life.]

[Guatemala]: Imprenta de la Paz, 1854. 42x30.3cm. Set of four broadsides, offered here in four colors: green, tan, yellow, and blue. Faint smoothed out horizontal fold with occasional spotting to all copies. Smoothed out crease to top corner of tan copy. Smoothed out crease to lower corner of yellow copy. Near Fine. Rare, with only one copy identified in OCLC at the University of Kansas.

While two versions of this broadside were published, one significantly larger with an intricate border, we find the present version, produced by Imprenta de la Paz, to be more attractive, especially having been printed in multiple vibrant colors. This rare broadside announces Don Rafael Carrera as the President of Guatemala in Perpetuity, or what others might simply call, a dictator. The declaration is followed by a list of endorsing state council members, including the Minister of Government, Manuel Francisco Pavón, who spearheaded the non-democratic initiative.

José Rafael Carrera y Turcios (1814-1865) was an uneducated mestizo born in Guatemala City. Through his military service during the First Central American Civil War, Carrera developed considerable expertise in warfare. His strong connections with indigenous populations and his natural charisma facilitated his rise as the first President of Guatemala in 1844, a position he held until 1848. After a brief period of ‘voluntary’ exile in Mexico, Carrera returned for a second presidential term from 1851 until his death in 1865, during which time he was declared the Perpetual President of the Republic of Guatemala. While scholarly research on his political career continues and remains subject to debate, Carrera stands as a significant and influential leader during a period of profound turmoil in the Americas.

Price: $3,000.00

Item #10491