José Cecilio del Valle

José Cecilio del Valle (1776-1834), Central American statesman, born in Choluteca, Honduras. Educated at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where he earned a reputation as an outstanding scholar, he rose in local politics to become mayor of Guatemala City in 1820. When independence from Spain was achieved the following year, Valle helped guide Central America into the newly formed Mexican Empire. He represented the province of Tegucigalpa in the Mexican Congress in 1822 and became secretary of foreign affairs in the government of Agustin de Iturbide. The empire dissolved in 1823, whereupon Valle returned to Guatemala and in 1824 ran for the presidency of the newly formed United Provinces of Central America. Although he lacked only one vote for an absolute majority among the electors, Congress denied him the office. He won election a decade later but died before taking office.