Mariano Paredes

Mariano Paredes, born on January seventh, 1797, was a prominent Mexican conservative general and politician who briefly held the presidency of Mexico from December 1845 to July 1846. His rise to power was marked by a coup against the liberal administration of José Joaquín de Herrera, reflecting the turbulent political landscape of Mexico during the Centralist Republic.

Throughout his career, Paredes was known for his military prowess and political maneuvering, leading three successful coups against the government. In 1842, he orchestrated a movement to dethrone President Anastasio Bustamante amid a financial crisis, which culminated in the drafting of the Bases Orgánicas, a new constitution promulgated on June fourteenth, 1843. His political ambitions continued in 1844 when he challenged Antonio López de Santa Anna, gaining support from Congress in response to Santa Anna's unconstitutional actions.

In 1845, Paredes again took decisive action, leading a coup against President José Joaquín de Herrera, primarily due to Herrera's intentions to recognize Texan independence. This coup allowed Paredes to assume the presidency, a position he held during the onset of the Mexican–American War in April 1846. Initially, he contemplated establishing a monarchy in Mexico but ultimately shifted his focus to the war effort.

However, Paredes' presidency was marred by military setbacks, leading to increasing pressure for his removal. On July twenty-eighth, 1846, he resigned from the presidency, unable to maintain control amid the unfolding conflict. Historian Michael Costeloe characterized Paredes as a staunch proclerical figure who believed that Mexico's governance should be led by the military in collaboration with the educated elite, viewing liberal democracy as unsuitable for the nation at that time.