Antonio José de Sucre

Sucre, Antonio José de (1795–1830), important leader in Latin American wars against Spanish rule and first president of Bolivia (1826–28). Born in Venezuela, he joined the revolutionary army at age 15 and soon displayed great military skills. He gained the respect of the Venezuelan leader of the Latin American revolution, Simón Bolívar, who made him a general. In the course of several battles, Sucre successfully drove the Spanish from Ecuador and Bolivia. Bolívar appointed Sucre lifetime president of Bolivia (1826). Sucre agreed to serve 2 years, after which time he wanted to retire to Ecuador. Although he was a skillful executive, his attempts to set up a strong Bolivian government were thwarted by other political groups. He resigned his office in 1828 and withdrew to Ecuador when the Peruvian army invaded Bolivia. The next year he returned to drive away the Peruvian invaders. Sucre was assassinated the following year by what were believed to be opponents of Simón Bolívar. He is considered a Latin American hero. The capital of Bolivia is named after him.

See also: Bolivia.