Estanislao Vergara y Sanz de Santamaría

The aristocratic Vergara family traces its roots back to Spain, specifically the Basque country and to the town of Bergara. The family arrived in 1612 to Colombia through Francisco de Vergara y Azcarate, a Lieutenant Captian General of the Spanish Empire, and his son Antonio de Vergara Azcarate y Davila a royal treasurer that through his life gained much influence in the south american colony. Vergara was treasurer for 50 years until his death. His descendants served in the colonial bureaucracy, into the independence days, and through the republic. They married into important families in Colombia, making them one of the oldest and most aristocratic spanish american families in South America throughout the XVII, XVIII, and, XIX centuries.[2][3][4]

As member of the State ministry, he was in charge of the executive branch for the absence of The Liberator Simon Bolivar. His role in power was essential to advance a project for the establishment of a monarchical system in the country, being empowered by the Council of Ministers in his capacity as Chancellor to advance contacts with Europe in this regard. Vergara addressed letters to the Colombian ministers in Great Britain and France, José Fernández Madrid and Leandro Palacios. To the latter, he expressed the preference of the Council of Ministers for the country to be reigned by a French monarch, which caused negotiations with Great Britain to be frustrated when that kingdom stated that it would not approve the presence of a monarch of that origin in Colombia. , despite believing that this was the best system of government for the country. Diplomatic management, although secret, became a matter of public domain, unleashing a series of demonstrations against the initiative, even unsympathetic against the Liberator himself, who knew about the tasks of the Council of Ministers but refrained from intervening. Vergara proposed to the Liberator that he appoint Andrés Bello as Colombian ambassador to the United States of America to prevent his departure to a better destination given the precariousness of his economic situation. Unfortunately, the offer did not prevent what was expected, since Bello had already been hired by the Chilean government to advise him.

Critics to his government & Last years

The strongest movement against the diplomatic work of the Council government was led by General José María Córdova, who offered to defend the Constitution of Cúcuta and took up arms rejecting Bolívar's offer to join the Council of Ministers as Secretary of Marina.

With the return of Bolívar to Bogotá, Vergara resigned from the secretariat in which he was replaced by General Domingo Caycedo, to aspire to the Congress that was about to be elected, of which he participated as a deputy for Bogotá and signed the Constitution of April 1830. He was appointed Ministry of the Interior of General Santander. In recognition of his service to the country and given his state of physical prostration and precarious health, the Colombian Congress approved by decree on April 13, 1855, a lifetime pension of forty pesos a month for Dr. Vergara.