Juan José Flores

president of Ecuador

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June 26, 2026

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Juan José Flores was an Ecuadorian soldier and politician who served as the first president of Ecuador from 1830 to 1835 and again from 1839 to 1845. Ecuador gained its independence from Gran Colombia in 1830. Flores's early presidency was marked by a rivalry with Vicente Rocafuerte, another leader from the wars of independence. They alternated in the presidency for a period, with Flores drawing support from Quito and Rocafuerte from Guayaquil. Both leaders were ambitious, and while Rocafuerte had a coherent ideology and improved educational institutions, both were capable of "deplorable conduct" in their pursuit of power. Flores even invited the Spanish to return to Ecuador at one point.123

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Ecuador
Rivalry between Flores and Rocafuerte (1830–45)
…from the wars of independence—Juan José Flores and Vicente Rocafuerte—struggled for power; Flores found much of his support in Quito, Rocafuerte in Guayaquil. Hostility was not constant, and for a few years the rivals agreed to alternate in the presidency. They were not simply personalist dictators; Rocafuerte in particular…
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…from the wars of independence—Juan José Flores and Vicente Rocafuerte—struggled for power; Flores found much of his support in Quito, Rocafuerte in Guayaquil. Hostility was not constant, and for a few years the rivals agreed to alternate in the presidency. They were not simply personalist dictators; Rocafuerte in particular…
Read More