Soledad Román de Núñez

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Román, the second or maternal family name is Polanco, and, for married women, the optional marital name is de Nuñez.

Soledad Román de Nuñez
First Lady of Colombia
In role
1 April 1886 – 18 September 1894
PresidentRafael Núñez
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAna Narvaez y Guerra
Personal details
Born
Soledad Román Polanco

October 6, 1835
Cartagena, Bolívar, New Granada
Died19 June 1924(1924-06-19) (aged 89)
Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia,
Resting placeChapel of El Cabrero
SpouseRafael Núñez (1877–1894)
Parents
  • Manuel Román y Picón (father)
  • Rafaela Polanco de Román (mother)

Soledad Román de Núñez (born Soledad Román Polanco; October 6, 1835 - June 19, 1924) was the First lady of Colombia in 1880–1882, 1884–1888 and 1892, by her marriage to president Rafael Núñez. She is considered to have wielded a considerable influence in policy and participated in state affairs in Colombia during the presidencies of her spouse more than any other woman in Colombia before her. She is credited with the victory of the government in the conflict of 1885, as well as the Concordat of 1887.[1] She was a controversial figure, because her marriage was not recognized by the Catholic church, as the wedding had been civil, as her spouse's first wife was still alive and he was still married to her in the eyes of the Catholic church.

Early life

Soledad Román Polanco was born on 6 October 1835 in Cartagena as the eldest daughter of Manuel Román Picón and Manuela Polanco.[2] During much of her youth, "Sia Sola" as she was called by her family, her long stays at her father's Botica Román allowed Soledad to establish her first contacts with political and economic leaders of Cartgena, among whom Juan José Nieto stands out.[3]

Marriage to Rafael Núñez

Román Polanco had been engaged for 5 years to the Catalan migrant Pedro Macía whom she never married due to the postponement of her marriage. On 14 June 1877 they were married in Paris before the Consul of Colombia in France José Triana. Which sparked rejection and controversy on the part of Colombian society, calling Núñez a bigamist even though he was married to Dolores Gallegos. Román de Núñez was widely rejected by society and her husband's opponents.[4]

During the 1880 Colombian presidential election, Rafael Núñez became the new president of the then United States of Colombia. Due to the rejection that his name meant, Román de Núñez decided not to accompany him to Bogotá, so Soledad lived the four years of the first presidency of her husband in Cartagena, later during the 1884 elections, her husband was elected for a second term, so this time she decided to accompany her husband to the San Carlos Palace.

First Lady of Colombia

Román de Núñez was unpopular, and on multiple occasions harshly criticized when she was found to be Rafael Núñez's lover, despite being married to him, society continued to see Dolores Gallegos as Núñez's wife, which generated rivalries between those who defended that the union between Rafael Núñez and Soledad was real.[5]

Román de Núñez was characterized by having a politically active role, becoming a great influence on some of her husband's political decisions, the most relevant being her intervention in the political project of regeneration as well as her interim presidency during the Civil war of 1885.[5] Later he would make use of his political influence and his links with different political leaders with whom he negotiated the union with the Núñez side against the Liberal insurgents, which ended in their defeat and the promulgation of the constitution of 1886, as well as the signing of the concordat of 1887.[3][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Lemaitre, Daniel (1988). «Prólogo». Soledad Román de Núñez: Recuerdos (3 edición). Bogotá: Canal Ramírez Antares.
  2. ^ Tatis, Gustavo (20 September 2009). "En las sombras de Soledad Román". El Universal. Cartagena de Indias. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b Galvis, Silvia (1993). "Soledad Román de Núñez: Los afanes del Concordato". Revista Credecial Historia (41). ISSN 0121-3296.
  4. ^ "Román de Núñez, Soledad". Gran Enciclopedia de Colombia. Círculo de Lectores. 16 December 2004. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Lemaitre, Daniel (1988). Soledad Román de Núñez: Recuerdos (in Spanish) (3.ª ed.). Bogotá: Canal Ramírez Antares.
Honorary titles
New title First Lady of Colombia
1886–1894 		Succeeded by
Ana Narvaez Guerra