Demetrio H. Brid

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Demetrio Honorato Brid Lasso (Panama, Grenadine Confederation, December 21, 1859 - Panama City, Panama, May 27, 1917) was a Panamanian hero, journalist and writer, considered an important factor in the Panamanian separatist movement that culminated in the proclamation of the separation of Panama from the Republic of Colombia and the founding of the Republic of Panama in 1903, for which he is recognized as the first de facto president of the Republic of Panama and hero of the Homeland in an eminent degree.

Being President of the Municipal Council of the District of Panama, he assumed the responsibility of calling the town council on the night of November 3, 1903, to support the separatist movement. Given the emergence of a de facto government, which he presided over, it was his responsibility to designate and delegate his powers to the Provisional Government Board on the afternoon of November 4.

Biography

At the age of 13 he started working at the newspaper La Estrella de Panamá as a newspaper deliveryman. He continued as a typesetter, then as a proofreader, to later become an experienced editor of the newspaper, becoming an editorialist and Editor-in-Chief. Through his own efforts he perfected his Spanish, as well as learned English and French grammatically. He shared the editorial staff of La Estrella de Panamá with the renowned Panamanian poet Gaspar Octavio Hernández. He worked at La Estrella de Panamá for a period of 45 years until the day of his death.

He stood out as a member of the Conservative Party, which he joined since his youth. On September 1, 1890 he was elected to the Municipal Council of Panama, assuming the position of President in September 1892. Despite being a moderate politician, he was often seen accompanying Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero in political struggles. of the.

Holy Week

Demetrio H. Brid married for the first time Edelmira Dutary de Alba, with whom he had six children, and after his wife died, he married again Elida Cantera de Alba with whom he had four children.

He died on May 27, 1917 at the Santo Tomás Hospital in Panama City at the age of 57.

Political life

Demetrio H. Brid was elected to the Municipal Council of Panama in 1890, serving as President eight times, a position from which he resigned on December 31, 1904. He was one of the three main deputies for the Province of Panama to the Departmental Assembly since March 1903, holding the position of Vice President. He held other public positions after the separation of Panama from Colombia, such as that of convention of the National Constituent Convention in which capacity he was responsible, along with the other conventions, to draft the National Constitution sanctioned on the 15th. February 1904 and in that condition it was up to him, along with the rest of the conventional members, to elect Manuel Amador Guerrero on February 20 as the first Constitutional President of the Republic of Panama. Demetrio H. Brid was one of the eight constituent conventions for the Province of Panama. He held the position of First Vice President of the National Convention of 1904, he was elected in August 1904 as President of the Electoral Council of the Republic and was later appointed in 1906 as Consul General in Genoa, Italy. At the request of President Amador, he was appointed Governor of the Province of Panama in 1908. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was also appointed in July 1908 by President Amador as an ad-honorem member of the Pan American Commission, a designation he held until the time of his death. In 1911 he was appointed by the President of the Republic-First Designate, Dr. Pablo Arosemena, as Head of Section in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . He appointed Director of the Natural History Museum in 1912.

In addition to his work at La Estrella de Panamá, he was Official Editor of the “Gaceta de Panamá” from February 7, 1891 to August 31, 1895. After the separation of Panama from Colombia, the Gazette changed its name to “Official Gazette.” Its first issue was published on November 14, 1903. From November 11, 1903 to July 31, 1906 and from January 9, 1907 to December 28, 1908 he was its Official Editor.

In 1887 he enlisted in the newly created institution of the Fire Service against Fires, together with other young people from the capital, many of them from the foreign colony. He assisted in the fire of the Hotel Roma on June 3, 1888, considering those firefighters the first & # 34; heroes of the fire & # 34; In Panama. In 1890 he was promoted to Second Lieutenant of Salvadores.

Works

Among his works we can highlight the creation of the Colón Public Library, which was inaugurated by him on October 12, 1892, as the first center for intellectuals and knowledge. He is credited with having been the promoter of the idea of naming the official currency as the balboa in his capacity as Conventional member of the Monetary Commission of the National Convention of 1904, and also as Conventional, in May 1904 he was a proponent of empowering the Executive Branch to enter into a Trade Agreement with the United States.

Recognitions

On July 6, 2015, Resolution No. 123 of the Ministry of the Presidency "orders the placement of the medallion of Don Demetrio H. Brid in the Gallery of the Rulers, located in the Yellow Room of the Palacio de las Garzas in the Presidency of the Republic, in his capacity asPresident of the State, de facto of the Republic of Panama, during November 3 and 4 of 1903". The formal ceremony to unveil the medallion took place on May 17, 2017, the date on which the centenary of his death was commemorated.

The National Assembly of Panama, through Law 4 of 1955, decrees to recognize him as a Hero of the Republic in his capacity as a member of the Municipal Council of Panama, which “assumed the supreme power of the Panamanian Nation, and in By virtue of this, he appointed a Government Board” and “they signed the Act of Independence of the Isthmus on November 4, 1903, through which the Republic of Panama was established”.

The Municipal Council of Panama, through Resolution No. 60 of March 25, 2003, unanimously resolves to assign the name of the Demetrio H. Brid Municipal Palace to the permanent headquarters of the Municipal Council and the unveiling of a bust in his memory as fair recognition of his work as a councilor and exemplary citizen. Since 2003, the Municipal Council has carried out a pilgrimage to his grave in the Herrera Cemetery on All Souls' Day (November 2) to place floral offerings. Through Resolution No. 48 of July 1, 2008, it urged the General Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs to issue a commemorative stamp on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Demetrio H. Brid in 2009.

The Ministry of Education through Resolution No. 1438 of June 1, 2009 establishes the Demetrio H. Brid National Writing and Essay Contest for students of public and private schools.

The President of the Republic, through the Ministry of Government, resolved by Executive Decree No. 271 of October 4, 2017 to carry out a special issue of three postage stamps, a reminder sheet and a first day of issue cover in commemoration. of the centenary of the death of Demetrio H. Brid. The first day of broadcast ceremony took place at the Municipal Council of Panama on September 19, 2018.

The President of the Republic, through the Ministry of Government, resolved by Executive Decree No. 68 of February 4, 2013 to issue the overstamp “Demetrio H. Brid, I de facto President of Panama, 1903", whose Issue Date was June 18, 2014 at the General Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs.

He was awarded the Cervantes Medal, an award for letters, for his contributions to journalism and his outstanding work in the newspaper La Estrella de Panamá.

The Herrán-Hay Treaty

Main article: Treaty Herran-Hay

From January 24, 1902 to December 31, 1904 he was again President of the Municipal Council and therefore it was his responsibility to lead the Municipality during a decisive period in the history of Panama in which the consultation related to the Herrán-Hay Treaty between the Republic of Colombia and the United States of America for the interoceanic canal project through the territory of the Isthmus that preceded the separatist feat of November 3, 1903.

On June 4, 1903, the Municipal Council of the District of Panama, one of the eighteen districts that made up the Department of Panama of the Republic of Colombia, resolved that the Herrán-Hay Treaty would be of great benefit to both signatory countries. given that the construction of a canal across the Isthmus would bring progress and well-being to all Panamanians.

After the Thousand Days War, the councilors of the Municipality of Panama felt the responsibility of finding solutions to improve the financial situation of the Department of Panama. Given these facts, having established that the Treaty was convenient, Prócer Brid began the consultation process with the rest of the presidents of the municipal councils. The letters of ratification were received from June 23 to August 2, 1903, with only one of the municipalities opposing, so a note was sent to the Supreme Legislative Corporation of the Republic of Colombia for its consideration.

In view of the fact that the treaty was rejected by the Colombian Senate on August 12, there was no other alternative but to start the separatist movement, a desire that existed among the majority of Panamanians to separate from Colombia, and which was realized under the leadership of a secret Revolutionary Junta made up of its members José Agustín Arango, Manuel Amador Guerrero, Federico Boyd, Nicanor A. De Obarrio, Manuel Espinosa B., Carlos Constantino Arosemena, Tomás Arias and Ricardo Arias.

The separatist feat of November 3, 1903

The councilors exercised the decision to act and proclaim the independence of the Republic of Panama

Demetrio H. Brid, being President of the Municipal Council of Panama, became one of the leaders of the separatist feat of November 3, 1903. Due to the friendship that united him with Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero and his work as Editor of the newspaper La Estrella de Panamá, whose owner was José Gabriel Duque, was aware of the movement led by the Revolutionary Junta. In Panama there were moments of unrest and serious danger for the "revolutionary citizens," since there were rumors related to the aggressive behavior of the Colombian troops and their desire to attack the people who wanted to separate from the Republic of Colombia.

On the morning of November 3, upon being informed by Doctor Manuel Amador Guerrero of the arrival of the Colombian army, Demetrio H. Brid told his wife before leaving the house “Look Elida, Amador just called me. I'm going there, because today the separatist movement is taking place. If I don't return, you already know how lucky I am.” November 3 was an intense day of maneuvers by the conspirators to control the Colombian military.

Around six in the afternoon, the separation of Panama was proclaimed after weapons had been distributed among Panamanians in Panama City. The Colombian war flotilla was located in the Bay of Panama. While this was happening, the Revolutionary Junta and other revolutionaries met at the Hotel Central to establish military control and at the same time, at the initiative of Demetrio H. Brid, President of the Municipal Council of the District of Panama, notified all members of the municipal corporation so that they were pending the call of an extraordinary session in the Municipal Council.

The Bogotá cruise ship had just retired and the people were euphorically celebrating the birth of the new State, the members of the Municipal Council of the District of Panama, aware of the consequences of their actions, met at the Municipal Palace, in order to give character official to the proclaimed independence. These were, as recorded in the Minutes of the Extraordinary and Solemn Session of November 3, 1903, the councilors Rafael Aizpuru, Agustín Arias Feraud, Demetrio H. Brid, Manuel J. Cucalón P. and José María Chiari R. as main members of the Municipal Council, and Enrique Linares and Manuel María Méndez, substitute councilors who had to act as principals.

With the overthrow of the Government of Colombia in the Isthmus, having imprisoned the Governor of the Department of Panama, a de facto State emerged that converted the Panamanian territory into a State without a government. When he had the attendance of the regulatory quorum, Demetrio H. Brid told them that "In those solemn moments and of great excitement, a respectable group of citizens of the capital had proclaimed the Independence of the Isthmus with the approval of the people of his understanding and citizenship, and for this reason he wanted to know if the current representatives of the rights of the people were willing to join and support this political movement, under oath to sacrifice their interests and lives and even the future of their lives. children if necessary. The councilors approved the aforementioned and swore to God and the Country to support the separatist movement. In the Municipal Palace were Manuel Amador Guerrero, Federico Boyd, Esteban Huertas, Carlos A. Mendoza, Nicanor Villalaz, among the many present there.

At that moment, under the Presidency of Demetrio H. Brid in the Municipal Council of the District of Panama, the Republic of Panama emerged in the form of a de facto government. Before ending the session, around 10 p.m., he proposed sending the following telegram to the President of the United States: "The municipality of Panama is holding a solemn session at this time, adhering to the movement of separation from the Isthmus of Panama from the rest of Colombia and awaits recognition from its Government for our cause. The formal response from the United States was received on November 5, 1903. Immediately after the solemn session closed, it sent emissaries to the municipal councils of the rest of the territory to inform them of the decision made by the Municipal Council of Panama. Demetrio H. Brid, accompanied by the councilors, also went to the Cathedral Park (now Plaza de la Independencia) to inform the attendees about the official decision to separate from Colombia, while announcing the call for an Open Town Hall the next day.

In this way, the revolutionary movement by which the Isthmus of Panama was emancipated from the rest of the Republic of Colombia, forming a sovereign and free nation, was legitimized by the people of Panama, represented at this time by its highest authority Demetrio H. Brid, in his capacity as President of the Municipal Council of Panama, which is why he has been recognized since the Fiftieth Anniversary of independence as the First President of the State de Facto and Hero of the Homeland in an Eminent Degree.

A new tricolor flag, which would represent the now independent country, was paraded through the streets by a euphoric public. In the early morning of the 4th with the participation of the District Mayor, the flag was raised on the flagpole of the Municipal Palace, to the strains of the then popular Hiawatha march, composed by Neil Moret (Charles N. Daniels) in 1901, which was chanted by those gathered and played by an improvised band.

On November 4, in a session of the Municipal Council, he presides over the Open Town Hall held in the Plaza de la Catedral, reading before the assembled public the Act of Independence of the Republic of Colombia. The Prócer Brid was responsible for appointing and granting powers on behalf of the entity he represented, to the members of the Provisional Government Board José Agustín Arango, Federico Boyd and Tomás Arias, temporarily entrusting them with the administration, management and direction of business"and other matters of national stability, while the new republic was being formalized. Concluding his reading, Demetrio H. Brid expressed the following as a sign of his unconditional commitment to the Homeland: “Homeland, for you we must sacrifice everything that God in his goodness gave us, up to the future of our children.” He then swore in the Provisional Government Board, continuing with the popular support signed by those attending the Open Town Hall.

As President of the Council, Demetrio H. Brid also took part in the baptism of the National Flag that took place in Plaza Chiriquí on December 20, 1903.

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