José Maria Placido Caamaño, a Conservative, serves…

José Maria Placido Caamaño, a Conservative, serves as Ecuador's president until 1888, and he remains a powerful figure during the administrations of the duly elected Progressive Party (Partido Progresista) presidents who follow  him, Antonio Flores Jijon and Luis Cordero Crespo.

Flores, who is the son of President Juan José Flores, intends progressivism to represent a compromise position between liberalism and conservatism.

The Progressive program calls for support for the Roman Catholic Church, rule by law, and an end to dictatorship and military rule.

Although neither Caamaño, Flores, nor Cordero is able to curtail the growing animosity between Conservatives and Liberals, their periods in office are, for the most part, characterized by relative political stability and prosperity.

The latter results more from favorable international circumstances for cocoa exports than from astute government policy making.