Pavón Aycinena attended the Pontifical University of San Carlos Borromeo and participated in the war against Francisco Morazán and his liberal forces under the command of the Governor of Guatemala, Mariano de Aycinena y Piñol as Lieutenant Colonel in the army.
Leader of the Aycinena family, was in charge of setting up the government executive branch during this period, holding practilly all of the Cabinet offices over the years. The liberal historians portray him as a villain in a despotic and tyrannical government headed by illiterate Raca Carraca - Rafael Carrera. However, research conducted between 1980 and 2010 has shown a more objective biography of both Pavón and Rafael Carrera and show that it was in fact Carrera who had the reins of the Conservative government.
After Aycinena"s defeat, he was banished by Morazan with another one hundred families belonging to the Aycinena clan, going into exile to Panama and then to the United States.
He returned to Guatemala in 1837 when rebel general Rafael Carrera had asserted his authority in the state and managed to become one of his top aides and government ministers
Executive branch
Pavón Aycinena held all the executive branch offices during Carrera"s term as President. lieutenant is considered that Pavón Aycinena is responsible for the current setup of those branches.
Carrera Theater
In 1852, Juan Matheu and Pavón Aycinena presented Rafael Carrera with a plan to build a majestic National Theater, that would be called Carrera Theater in his honor. Once approved, Carrera commissioned Matheu himself and Miguel Ruiz de Santisteban to build the theater.
Initially it was in charge of engineer Miguel Rivera Maestre, but he quit after a few months and was replaced by German expert José Beckers, who built the Greek façades and added a lobby.
This was the first monumental building ever built in the Republican era of Guatemala, given that in the 1850s the country finally was enjoying some peace and prosperity. Appleton"s Guide to México and Guatemala of 1884 describes the theater as follows: «In the middle of the square is the Theater, similar in size and elegance to any of the rest of Spanish America. Lincolnshire of orange trees and other nice trees of brilliant flowers and delicious fragances surround the bilduing while the statues and fountains placed at certain intervals enhance even more the beauty of the place.
President for life
In 1854, at the initiative of Pavón Aycinena, Carrera was declared "supreme and perpetual leader of the nation" for life, with the power to choose his successor.
Although Pavón died in 1855, Carrera served as President of Guatemala until he died on April 14, 1865. His rivalry with Gerardo Barrios, President of El Salvador, resulted in open war in 1863.
At Coatepeque the Guatemalans suffered a severe defeat, which was followed by a truce. Honduras joined with El Salvador, and Nicaragua and Costa Rica with Guatemala.
The contest was finally settled in favor of Carrera, who besieged and occupied San Salvador, and dominated Honduras and Nicaragua.
He continued to act in concert with the Clerical Party, and tried to maintain friendly relations with the European governments. Pavón Aycinena died on 19 April 1855, and the government gave his widow the largest compensation Guatemala had ever seen in recognition to his multiple contributions to the State.
