DE SOLA, JUAN BARTOLOMÉ

DE SOLA, JUAN BARTOLOMÉ (c. 1800–1858), Venezuelan general. Much confusion has existed about the place and date of birth of Juan De Sola. Presumably the son of Jeudah De Sola Nunes da Costa and of Sarah Ricardo, he was born c. 1800 on the island of St. Thomas. With the outbreak of the war for independence he joined the army of Gran Colombia (which included New Granada (Colombia) Venezuela, and Ecuador), obtaining the rank of lieutenant at the age of 19. In 1820 he was transferred to the "Bravos de Apure" Battalion, where he remained until the battle of Carabobo (1821). He was promoted to captain and decorated with the Coat of Arms of the "Vencedores de Carabobo" and with the bust of the liberator Simón Bolivar. To facilitate his marriage Juan embraced Catholicism in 1823. In the book where his conversion is registered one may read: "I proceeded to the instruction of Mr. Juan De Sola, Captain of the Battalion Apure, of the Hebrew nation, natural of St. Thomas (…) I baptized him solemnly according to the Roman ritual and I imposed upon him the name of Juan Bartolomé de la Concepción." In 1830, Juan Bartolomé, then colonel of artillery, requested Venezuelan nationality, which was granted to him immediately. In 1837 he was appointed provisional governor of the Carabobo province. As president of the Provincial Delegation he sanctioned the ordinance that would create the public lighting system of the province. In 1858, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, but he died in Valencia (Venezuela) before he could take up the appointment. (Jacob Carciente (2nd ed.)