José de Cuero y Caicedo was a bishop and politician who served as President of Ecuador, Vice President of Sovereign Board of Quito,[1] Bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quito,[2] and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cuenca.

[3][4] He was born on 11 September 1735 in Cali, Colombia to Fernando Cuero y Pérez and Bernabela Caicedo y Jiménez.

[7] Already as a Bishop he belonged to the famous Escuela de la Concordia Society, formed with the secret purpose of propagating progressive political ideas.

Despite not having participated in the Revolution of 10 August 1809, he was named Vice President of the First Sovereign Government Board (Junta).

When a new revolt under command of Carlos de Montúfar led to a Second Junta and the independent State of Quito in 1812, the Bishop became its President.