José Joaquín de Olmedo y Maruri (20 March 1780 – 19 February 1847) was President of Ecuador from 6 March 1845 to 8 December 1845. A patriot and poet, he was the son of the Spanish Captain Don Miguel de Olmedo y Troyano and the Guayaquilean Ana Francisca de Maruri y Salavarría. Biography On 9 October 1820, Olmedo and others declared the city of Guayaquil independent from Spain. He was President of the Free Province of Guayaquil until it was united to Gran Colombia by Simón Bolívar against Olmedo's will. He was also twice mayor of Guayaquil. As a result of Guayaquil's annexation to Colombia, Olmedo travelled to Peru in a self-imposed exile. He became active in Peruvian politics, forming part of the country's first Constituent Congress and representing it diplomatically in Europe, specifically as minister to France and Portugal, among other states. He was Vice President of Ecuador from 1830 to 1831, and became President of Ecuador from 6 March 1845, to 8 December 1845, surviving an attempted coup on 18 June of that year. He was also a noted poet who emphasized patriotic themes. His best-known work is La victoria de Junin, which pictures the Latin American fighters for independence from Spain as the legitimate heirs of the Incas. Olmedo devoted his life to Guayaquil, he created the Guayaquilean flag and shield, and in 1821 he composed the Song to the October Ninth, which would become the Guayaquil Anthem. He is quoted as saying "He who does not hope to win has already lost." The José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil is named after him. Independence of Guayaquil José Joaquín de Olmedo was a participant in a group organized by don José de Antepara that supported secession from the Spanish Empire. The group was formed the night of 1 October 1820 in the home of José de Villamil under the guise of a quinceañera for Isabela Morlás, who was the daughter of fellow secessionist Pedro Morlás. Gregorio Escobedo, Francisco de Paula Lavayen, Luis Fernando Vivero, and José Rivas also participated, as well as Venezuelans Febres Cordero, Miguel de Letamendi, and Luis Urdaneta, among others. The group, known as the "Forge of Vulcan," concluded the meeting with an oath of loyalty to the cause by those present. During the days following the meeting, Antepara and Villamil managed to convince the military leaders in charge of Guayaquil’s defense