Santiago Derqui

Santiago Rafael Luis Manuel José María Derqui Rodríguez (Córdoba June 21, 1809 – November 5, 1867) was president of Argentina from March 5, 1860 to November 5, 1861. He was featured on the 10 Australes note, which is now obsolete.

Derqui studied at the Córdoba National University, receiving a degree in law in 1831. At the university he was professor of law, then of philosophy, and finally vice-dean. In 1845 he married Modesta Garcia de Cossio with whom he had three boys and three girls.

He was first assistant and then Minister of the government of Corrientes Province under José María Paz. Justo José de Urquiza named him 'Business administrator' and sent him to Paraguay on a foreign business mission. He became deputy for Córdoba Province. In 1854 Urquiza named him head of the Ministry of Justice, Education and Public Instruction, were he worked for the six years of Urquiza's mandate, pushing forward the still-emerging nation.

After Urquiza's mandate, Derqui became constitutional president. Being from Córdoba and not from Buenos Aires, it was expected that under his rule the continuous revolts of the provincial governments against the federal government would end.

Derqui accepted the revised national constitution with the changes that would favour Buenos Aires, and named the country República Argentina. This and other unpopular policies towards the rest of the country provoked a general discontent in the provinces that led to the Battle of Pavón. Unable to maintain authority, Derqui resigned and fled to Montevideo.

While in exile, Bartolomé Mitre helped him to go back to his wife's native city of Corrientes, were he would die a few years later.