José Hilario López Valdés (18 February 1798, Popayán, Cauca – 27 November 1869, Campoalegre, Huila) was a Colombian politician and military officer.

As a prisoner of war, he was assigned to the cobblestone duty of the Plaza Mayor de Bogotá and in the shooting squadron to execute insurgent leaders.

[1] Once the campaign ended in February 1823, López returned to Bogotá and was appointed by General Francisco de Paula Santander as military chief of the province of Cauca.

[1] After the Conspiración Septembrína (Septembrine Conspiracy) of 1828, and while being military chief of the Azuay province, López rebelled against General Simón Bolívar and joined the army of Colonel José María Obando.

[1] Shortly after, the Gran Colombia-Peru War broke out, and Bolívar headed south to confront the Peruvians and join forces with Field Marshal Antonio José de Sucre, who was in wait for him.

López advanced to Tocaima, where he confronted General Rafael Urdaneta,[1] but both reached a ceasefire that followed the "Apulo Agreement", signed on 28 April 1831.

On 7 March 1849, López was elected President of Colombia with the support of the artisans and their democratic society clubs, having also taken advantage of the divisions among the conservatives.

López administration also authorized the dissolution of the Resguardos for Amerindians and prohibited any businesses regarding this practice, going against the will of their main supporters, the Democratic Societies, and allowing the elites to benefit from the newly liberated laborers who searched for work in their tobacco plantations.