Pedro Barriere

Doctor Pedro Barriere (? – 18 May 1827) was a Spanish colonial official in the Intendancy of San Salvador from 1819 until 1821. After independence from Spain, he became the first head of state of the Province of San Salvador and served for two months in late 1821.

Doctor Pedro Barriere
1st Political Chief of San Salvador
In office 21 September 1821 – 28 November 1821
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	José Matías Delgado
Interim Colonial Intendant of San Salvador
In office 1819 – 21 September 1821
Monarch	Ferdinand VII
Preceded by	José María Peinado
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Captaincy General of Cuba
Died	18 May 1827 Milingo, El Salvador
Political party	Independent
Occupation	Politician, military
Military service
Allegiance	Spain (until 1821)  El Salvador (from 1821)
Years of service	? – 1827
Battles/wars	First Central American Civil War Battle of Milingo †

Biography

Pedro Barriere was born in the Captaincy General of Cuba.[1] He entered the service of the colonial government at the end of the eighteenth century, ascending to the rank of lieutenant.[1] His service was distinguished by his loyalty to the royalist cause.[1]

On 15 September 1821, the Act of Independence of Central America was signed in Guatemala City. Barriere replaced General and Doctor José María Peinado as Spanish intendant of El Salvador on the latter's death. Barriere took over the government on September 21, 1821. He was the last colonial intendant of the province and the first governor after independence. He occupied the position until November 28, 1821.

When Manuel José Arce, together with a small group of Salvadoran supporters, asked Intendant Barriere for the election of an economic consultative junta on September 30, 1821, Barriere ordered the arrest of the patriot leaders — Arce, Domingo Antonio Lara, Juan Manuel Rodríguez, Manuel Castillo, Mariano Fagoaga and others. Because he feared popular reaction in El Salvador, they were sent as prisoners to Guatemala, with a strong escort.

The governing junta in Guatemala had received the report of the incident from Barriere, and was ready to punish the prisoners. However, the priest Dr. José Matías Delgado, who had been named the new civil political chief of El Salvador by the Provisional Consultative Junta of Guatemala, secured their release in Santa Ana, El Salvador, before they reached Guatemala.

Dr. Barriere, who scoffed at the protests of the people and depended on the army for his authority, could hardly believe he had been replaced by Padre Delgado. Delgado was received by the people of El Salvador as a liberator from the tyranny of Barriere. Barriere moved to Guatemala, where he was promoted to colonel. He died in the service of the first president of the Federal Republic of Central America, General Manuel José Arce, his former enemy, in the Battle of Milingo.

See also

• President of El Salvador
• Colonial Intendant of San Salvador

References

1. "Presidentes de El Salvador – Dr. Pedro Barriere" [Presidents of El Salvador – Dr. Pedro Barriere] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

External links

• (in Spanish) Short biography at the Salvadoran government web site