Biography of Pedro Nolasco Arriaga
Lawyer Pedro Nolasco Arriaga was born on January 31, 1793, in the former city of Comayagua, and died in Guatemala City on July 23, 1860. He was the President of the First Constituent Congress of Honduras, which was held in Cedros (1824). He signed the Act of Separation of Comayagua from Spain and was a supporter of annexation to Mexico.
Due to the political rivalry between Comayagua and Tegucigalpa, the Central American Constituent Assembly called for the First Constituent Congress of the State of Honduras to be installed in Aguantequerique or Lepaterique. However, the difficulties presented by these two Honduran towns led to the selection of the mining town of Cedros, which was also considered equidistant from the cities vying for political dominance in the center of Honduras.
On August 30, 1824, the deputies gathered in a central house in Cedros and installed the Constituent Congress, presided over by the young and talented legal expert Don Pedro Nolasco Arriaga, a citizen who obtained his degree in Guatemala in 1818.
At the age of 25, he returned to his homeland and began participating in political activities that caused him serious problems, leading to his persecution. However, he did not yield to his ideas and was one of the men who identified with the independence movement that culminated in 1821.
During his tenure as President of the First Constituent Congress, Lic. Dionisio de Herrera was ratified as the head of state, the alternation of the Congress seat between Tegucigalpa and Comayagua was decreed, the first Senators were appointed, the first Coat of Arms of Honduras was decreed, and the first territorial division of the country was carried out with the following departments: Comayagua, Tegucigalpa, Choluteca, Olancho, Santa Bárbara, Gracias, and Yoro.
Due to a series of prevailing political situations in his country, Pedro Nolasco Arriaga decided to return to Guatemala in 1830, dedicating himself to his profession as a lawyer.
His talent, honesty, and dedication led to his appointment as Auditor of War and Attorney General of the Guatemalan government in 1835. In 1839, when the Central American state separated from the Federation, he was appointed Secretary of the Supreme Government of the State, in charge of the Ministry of Governance and Justice, Ecclesiastical Affairs, and Foreign Relations.
Pedro Nolasco Arriaga thus became the first Chancellor of the Republic of Guatemala.
In 1894, he served as the Dean Magistrate of the Court of Justice of Guatemala, a position he held for many years until he retired from public life due to illness.
He returned to Guatemala, practicing his profession as a lawyer.
In Guatemala, in 1835, he served as the Auditor of War and Attorney General, as well as the Secretary of Governance and Justice, Ecclesiastical Affairs, and Foreign Relations, making him the first Chancellor of Guatemala.
In 1849, he served as the Dean Magistrate of the Court of Justice of Guatemala.
