Captain-General Rafael del Riego y Flórez (7 April 1784 – 7 November 1823) was a Spanish Army officer and politician who played a key role in the Liberal Triennium ( in Spanish).
Early life
thumb|Commemorative plaque at del Riego's birthplace in Tuña
Riego was born on 7 April 1784 in Tuña, Asturias. After graduating in Law from the University of Oviedo that was being prepared to put down the Spanish American wars of independence, and later promoted to lieutenant colonel, Riego was incorporated into the Asturian Battalion, then under the command of Evaristo San Miguel, at Las Cabezas de San Juan (Seville). among others, were arrested. With the leading plotters imprisoned, Riego decided to go ahead with the mutiny and on 1 January 1820, at the head of his battalion at Cabezas de San Juan proclaimed the restoration of the Spanish Constitution of 1812, On 7 March 1820, the royal palace in Madrid was surrounded by soldiers under the command of General Francisco Ballesteros, and on 10 March, the King agreed to restore the Constitution.
Later life
The new progressive government promoted Riego to field marshal and appointed him Captain General of Galicia, post which he did not assume
thumb|upright|Bust of del Riego in Oviedo
Meanwhile, in December 1822, at the Congress of Verona, the Quintuple Alliance countries had decided that a Spain bordering on republicanism was a threat to the balance of Europe, and France was chosen to force a restoring of the absolute monarchy in Spain. On 7 April 1823, the French army crossed over the Pyrennes. Riego resigned from the presidency of the Cortes