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Mina Francisco Xavier
(1789—1817)

Francisco Javier Mina was a Spanish lawyer and army officer and a Mexican revolutionary. He was born in Otano, Navarrese, to Juan Mina, a wealthy farmer, and Maria Lerrea. He studied at the Seminary of Pamplona.

On the occupation of Spain by French troops in early 1808 during the Peninsular War, Mina (then aged 19) fled to the hills and forests of his native region and formed a small guerrilla force. Starting with only ten men, it quickly grew in size to over 200. Launching raids on the French, Mina captured arms, ammunition and horses. Within a year Mina's forces grew to over 1,200 men and 150 cavalry, and he began to engage in full-scale military actions, rather than hit-and-run raids. Mina was captured in March 1810. He was sent to Vincennes prison in France, finally being released in April 1814 with the collapse of Napoleon's government.

On returning to Spain he was made a colonel of the Navarre Hussars by King Ferdinand VII. Despite this Mina was antagonistic to the King, since he had abolished the democratic government created under the Constitution of 1812 in years of Ferdinand VII's absence. After a planned coup against the King failed, Mina was forced to flee to safety (ironically) in France.

Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, convinced him that it was possible to fight the absolute monarchy of Ferdinand VII in his own colonies.

In November 1816, Mina took three ships to attack Spanish shipping in the Gulf of Mexico, setting his base at Galveston Island, Texas. In April 1817, Mina took a force of about 250 men southwards, in ships provided by the privateer Louis-Michel Aury, where he hoped to join the southern Mexican revolutionaries led by Guadalupe Victoria and others. After several victories, he was finally defeated by Commandant Joaquin Arredondo. Mina escaped to join the Mexican rebels further south, but in October 1817 was captured. He was executed by firing squad in Mexico City, age 27.

Mexico, 1989, Francisco Xavier Mina

Mexico, 2010, Francisco Xavier Mina