Coto Paúl Explained

Francisco Antonio Paúl Terreros
Birth Date:2 August 1773
Birth Place:Caracas, Viceroyalty of New Granada
Death Date:1821
Death Place:Near Riohacha
Education:University of Caracas

Francisco Antonio Paúl Terreros, better known as Coto Paúl, (2 August 1773 – 1821) was a lawyer, orator, and officer who fought in the Venezuelan War of Independence. A member of the Patriotic Society, he served in administrative roles in the First Republic of Venezuela, Second Republic of Venezuela, and United Provinces of New Granada. He served the lattermost until his death from malaria in 1821.[1]

He was nicknamed Coto Paúl because of his goiter, which is sometimes called a coto in Spanish.[2]

Personal life

Francisco Antonio Paúl Terreros was born on 2 August 1773 in Caracas in what was then the Viceroyalty of New Granada. He had six siblings, but only he and his brother and fellow revolutionary Felipe Fermín Paúl Terreros received higher education. He studied law at the University of Caracas and became a lawyer in 1807.[3]

He had two legitimate daughters, Emilia and Magdalena de Paúl y Almeida.[4]

Career

He joined the Patriotic Society in 1810. When the First Republic of Venezuela was established, he was made the prosecutor of the High Court of Justice and of the Royal Treasury. This state would eventually capitulate, and the Second Republic was formed not long after. Here, Coto Paúl was the Governor of Caracas. He fought at the, Battle of Araure, and . After the fall of the Second Republic, he fled to Curacao with other rebels.

Returning from exile, he became the War Auditor for the United Provinces of New Granada in the Magdalena Campaign, with his commander Mariano Montilla unable to find a suitable military role for him. He did, however, fight in the siege of Cartagena de Indias. He was shortly thereafter infected with malaria and died.

At a celebration of the anniversary of the start of the Venezuelan War of Independence hosted by the Patriotic Society, Coto Paúl delivered a now-famous speech where he extolled anarchism. He said:

El anarquismo en América Latina records that Coto Paúl's anarchism may have been influenced by Sylvain Maréchal.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Paul Terreros, Francisco Antonio . bibliofep . 17 October 2023.
  2. Web site: Retrato de Francisco Antonio Paúl Terreros (Coto Paúl) - CORREO DE LARA . Correo de Lara . 13 October 2023 . es . 23 March 2021.
  3. Web site: Alberto Navas Blanco . Reseña Biográfica del Dr. Felipe Fermín Paúl Terreros, Rector de la UCV (1823-1825) . Docencia Universitaria . 21 October 2023.
  4. Web site: LICENCIADO Y COMANDANTE FRANCISCO ANTONIO DE PAUL COTO-PAUL . Bibliografía latinoamericana . 22 October 2023 . es.
  5. Book: Rama . Carlos M. . Cappelletti . Ángel J. . El anarquismo en América Latina . 1990 . Biblioteca Ayacucho . Caracas . 9802761168 . 22 October 2023.