José Rosales (politician)

Colonel
José Rosales
Colonel José Rosales
President of El Salvador
	In office; 18 June 1885 – 22 June 1885; Acting President
Preceded by	Fernando Figueroa (provisional)
Succeeded by	Francisco Menéndez
Member of the Senate of El Salvador from San Salvador
	In office; 1877, 1881, 1884 – 1885
29th & 42nd Mayor of San Salvador
	In office; 1876
Preceded by	Rafael Reyes
Succeeded by	Manuel Bertis
	In office; 1860
Preceded by	Escolástico Andrino
Succeeded by	Antonio Sifontes
Personal details
Born	José Rosales Herrador; 19 March 1827; San Salvador, Federal Republic of Central America
Died	6 May 1891 (aged 64); San Salvador, El Salvador
Spouse	Carmen Ungo
Occupation	Politician, businessman
Military service
Allegiance	El Salvador
Branch/service	Salvadoran Army
Rank	Colonel

José Rosales Herrador (19 March 1827 – 6 April 1891) was a Salvadoran politician, businessman, and military officer who served as President of El Salvador for five days in June 1885. He served as a senator in the Senate of El Salvador from the San Salvador Department on several occasions during the 1870s and 1880s.

Early life

José Rosales Herrador was born on 19 March 1827 in San Salvador, Federal Republic of Central America. His parents were Colonel José Rosales y Sáenz and Josefa Herrador. In Rosales' youth, he attended a school run by Franciscans until it was shut down by Central American president Francisco Morazán, after which, Rosales was taught by private tutors from the Morales Villaseñor family.^[1]^[2] Rosales attended university in Guatemala City during the 1840s. Rosales owned various businesses and properties in San Salvador and Chalatenango.^[2] Rosales served in the Salvadoran Army and attainted the rank of colonel.^[3]

Political career

Rosales served as mayor of San Salvador in 1860 and 1876. He was also a senator in the Senate of El Salvador from the San Salvador Department in 1877 and 1881 and later a deputy to the Constituent Congress in 1883.^[3] He was a senator in 1884 and 1885 and served as the Senate's vice president in 1885.^[2]

From 18 to 22 June, Rosales served as the acting president of El Salvador as the third presidential designate. He became president after a revolution by Divisional General Francisco Menéndez overthrew presidents Rafael Zaldívar and Divisional General Fernando Figueroa.^[2] Rosales signed the Treaty of San Andrés with Menéndez on 19 June, and on 22 June,^[4] Rosales formally handed Menéndez the presidency when he marched into San Salvador.^[2] He had one of the shortest presidencies in Salvadoran history.^[3]

After the revolution, Menéndez appointed Rosales as commander-in-chief of the Salvadoran Army in June.^[5] On 4 December, Menéndez appointed Rosales as councilor of state.^[2]

Personal life

Rosales married Carmen Ungo. They had no children.^[2]

Rosales died in San Salvador, El Salvador on 6 April 1891.^[2] In Rosales' will, he allocated 500,000 pesos^[a] to build a new hospital in San Salvador.^[3] On 13 July 1902, the Salvadoran government inaugurated the new hospital and named it after him: Hospital Rosales.^[2]^[6]

Notes

^ The 500,000 Salvadoran pesos allocated by Rosales to build a new hospital in 1891 was worth approximately 4 million United States dollars at the time.^[6] This is equivalent to $143,333,333 in 2025.

References

Citations

^ Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 137.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 145.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 138.
^ Diario Oficial 1885, p. 715.
^ Ward 1916, p. 45.
^ ^a ^b Martin 1911, p. 266.

Bibliography

Cañas Dinarte, Carlos & Scarlett Cortez, Violeta (2006). Aguilar Avilés, Gilberto & De Aguilar, Lilian (eds.). Historia del Órgano Legislativo de la República de El Salvador: 1824–2006 [History of the Legislative Organ of the Republic of El Salvador: 1826–2006] (PDF) (in Spanish) (II ed.). San Salvador, El Salvador: Albacrome. OCLC 319689765. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
Leistenschneider, María & Leistenschneider, Freddy (1980). Gobernantes de El Salvador: Biografías [Governors of El Salvador: Biographies] (in Spanish). Ministry of the Interior. OCLC 7876291. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
Martin, Percy Falcke (1911). Salvador of the Twentieth Century. New York City and London: Longmans, Green & co. LCCN nuc87633949. OCLC 1157195793. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
"June 1885 Publications of Diario Oficial" (PDF). Diario Oficial (in Spanish). Vol. 18, no. 128–150. San Salvador, El Salvador. June 1885. pp. 637–736. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
Ward, L.A., ed. (1916). Libro Azul de El Salvador: Histórico y Descriptivo, Comercio e Industrías, Hechos Datos y Recursos [Blue Book of Salvador: Historical and Descriptive, Commercial and Industrial, Facts Figures and Resources] (PDF) (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador: Latin American Publicity Bureau. OCLC 16103876. Retrieved 17 January 2026.

[7] The 500,000 Salvadoran pesos allocated by Rosales to build a new hospital in 1891 was worth approximately 4 million United States dollars at the time.^[6] This is equivalent to $143,333,333 in 2025.

[FOOTNOTECañas_DinarteScarlett_Cortez2006137-1] Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 137.

[FOOTNOTELeistenschneiderLeistenschneider1980145-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Leistenschneider & Leistenschneider 1980, p. 145.

[FOOTNOTECañas_DinarteScarlett_Cortez2006138-3] Cañas Dinarte & Scarlett Cortez 2006, p. 138.

[FOOTNOTEDiario_Oficial1885715-4] Diario Oficial 1885, p. 715.

[FOOTNOTEWard191645-5] Ward 1916, p. 45.

[FOOTNOTEMartin1911266-6] Martin 1911, p. 266.

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Heads of state of El Salvador
List of heads of state of El Salvador
Post-independence (1821–1823)	Barriere Delgado Filísola* Codallos* Consultive Junta^‡ Prado^†
Federal Republic of Central America (1823–1841)	J. Rodríguez Prado J. V. Villacorta Prado^† Cornejo J. D. Villacorta^† Cornejo Morazán^†* J. San Martín* Prado J. San Martín* C. Salazar^†* G. Salazar^† Escolán^† Silva^† Escolán^† Espinoza* F. Gómez^†* Vigil T. Menéndez^† Vigil T. Menéndez^† Cañas^†* Morazán* Silva^† Municipal Council of San Salvador Cañas^† Ramírez^† Lindo^†
Republic of El Salvador (1841–1931)	Lindo^† Arce^† Lindo Marín^†* J. J. Guzmán* D. Villacorta^† Marín^†* J. J. Guzmán* Arce^† J. J. Guzmán* Palacios^† Malespín* J. E. Guzmán^†* Malespín* J. E. Guzmán^†* Palacios^† J. E. Guzmán^†* Palacios^† Aguilar Palacios^† Aguilar Medina^† Quirós^† Vasconcelos R. Rodríguez^† Quirós^† Vasconcelos Dueñas^† Quirós^† Dueñas^† J. M. San Martín^†* Dueñas V. Gómez^† J. M. San Martín* J. Hernández^†* J. M. San Martín* Dueñas^† Campo Dueñas^† Campo Zepeda^† Santín* Barrios^†* Santín* J. E. Guzmán^†* Peralta^† Barrios* Peralta^† Barrios* Dueñas González* Méndez^† González* del Valle Zaldívar Guirola^† Zaldívar Figueroa^†* Rosales^† F. Menéndez* C. Ezeta* A. Ezeta^†* Gutiérrez* Regalado* Escalón* Figueroa* M. Araujo C. Meléndez^† Quiñónez^† C. Meléndez Quiñónez^† J. Meléndez Quiñónez P. Romero A. Araujo
Military dictatorship (1931–1979)	Civic Directory^‡ Hernández Martínez^†* A. Menéndez^†* Hernández Martínez* A. Menéndez^†* Aguirre^†* Castaneda* Revolutionary Council of Government^‡ Osorio* Lemus* Junta of Government^‡ Civic-Military Directory^‡ Cordón^† Rivera* F. Sánchez* A. Molina* C. Romero*
Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992)	Revolutionary Government Junta^‡ Magaña Duarte Cristiani
Post-civil war (since 1992)	Cristiani Calderón Flores Saca Funes S. Sánchez Bukele C. Rodríguez^†
^† – Acting or provisional president ^‡ – Military junta * – Military president