“ PAEZ, JOSÉ ANTONIO (1790–1873) , Venezuelan president, was born of Indian parents near Acarigua in the province of Barinas on the 13th of June 1790. He came to the front in the war of independence against Spain, and his military career, which began about 1810, was distinguished by the defeat of the Spanish forces at Mata de la Miel (1815) , at Montecal and throughout the province of Apure (1816) , and at Puerto Cabello (1823) . In 1820 he furthered the secession of Venezuela from the republic of Colombia, and he became its first president (1830–1834) . ”