Jefe Político

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Jefe Político

Jefe Político, a term designating the chief political officer (civil governor) at the provincial or departmental level, especially in nineteenth-century Latin America and Spain. The term was recognized in the Spanish Constitution of 1812 and was incorporated into many subsequent Latin American constitutions. The office of jefe (or gefe) político replaced that of Corregidor and was especially popular with liberal governments that sought to replace Spanish colonial terminology with new terms. Usually appointed by the president, the jefe político often exercised great power at the local level. In Argentina, the term is used to designate the chief of police.

See alsoSpain, Constitution of 1812 .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Constitución política de la monarquía española promulgada en Cádiz a 19 de marzo de 1812, título VI (1820).

Mario Rodríguez, The Cádiz Experiment in Central America, 1808 to 1826 (1978).

Additional Bibliography

García Morales, Soledad. "Francisco M. Ostos Mora, jefe político de la huasteca veracruzana." La Palabra y el Hombre. 27:1 (October-December 2000): 123-145.

                               Ralph Lee Woodward Jr.

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Jefe Político

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