Spanish-American soldier, born in Caracas, Venezuela. At the beginning of the war of independence in Venezuela, although belonging to an old and wealthy family, he took the popular side, but soon afterward forsook it to enter the Spanish army and was rewarded with the rank of colonel. He then went to Spain and served against the Carlists. In 1839 he was made major-general and was appointed governor of Valencia. In 1843 ne retired to private life in Cuba, and in 1848 joined the revolutionary party. On account of the discovery of a conspiracy against the government, in which he was interested, López fled the following year to New York. He afterward led three filibustering expeditions from the United States to Cuba, but was captured and suffered death by the garrote, in Havana on the 1st of September 1851.
