Joaquín Zavala

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Zavala and the second or maternal family name is Solís.

Joaquín Zavala Solís
President of Nicaragua
In office 16 July 1893 – 25 July 1893 (Acting)
Preceded by	Salvador Machado (Acting)
Succeeded by	José Santos Zelaya
In office 1 March 1879 – 1 March 1883
Preceded by	Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Alfaro
Succeeded by	Adán Cárdenas
Personal details
Born	Joaquín Zavala Solís (1835-10-30)30 October 1835 Managua, Federal Republic of Central America
Died	30 December 1906(1906-12-30) (aged 71) Managua, Nicaragua
Nationality	Nicaraguan
Political party	Conservative
Occupation	Politician

Joaquín Zavala Solís (30 November 1835 in Managua – 30 December 1906 in Managua) was the President of Nicaragua from 1 March 1879 to 1 March 1883 and from 16 July to 15 September 1893. He was a member of the Conservative Party of Nicaragua.^[1]

He is now remembered especially for having thwarted the request of the young Rubén Darío, later to become one of the most well-known Spanish-language poets, for a government scholarship to study in Europe. In 1882 Darío, then 15 years old, read some of his poetry to a group including the President - whereupon Zavala reportedly reproved him: "My son, if you so write against the religion of your fathers and their homeland now, what will become of you if you go to Europe and learn worse things?"^[2]

References

1. "Gobernantes de Nicaragua". Ministerio de Educación. 9 December 2012. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
2. (in Spanish)Humberto C. Garza, Biografía de Rubén Darío, los-poetas.com. Accessed online 7 March 2007. "Hijo mío, si asi escribes ahora contra la religión de tus padres y de tu patria, que será si te vas a Europa a aprender cosas peores?"

Political offices
Preceded by Pedro Joaquín Chamorro	President of Nicaragua 1879–1883	Succeeded by Adán Cárdenas
Preceded by Salvador Machado	President of Nicaragua 1893	Succeeded by José Santos Zelaya