Figueroa mutiny
Encyclopedia
Figueroa mutiny was a failed attempt to restore royal power and is the first coup d'état to ever take place in Chile
.
decreed that elections were to be held for a National Congress
, the decree left open to every administrative division of the country the decision of when to carry them. Immediately, political intrigue began amongst the ruling elite, with news of the political turbulence and wars of Europe
all the while coming in. It was eventually decided that elections would be held in 1811. By March of that year all major cities had held them with the exception of Santiago and Valparaíso
. The great surprise up to that point were the results from the other center of power, Concepción
, in which Royalists had defeated the supporters of the president of the Junta, Juan Martínez de Rozas
. In the rest of Chile, the results were more or less equally divided: twelve pro-Rozas delegates, fourteen anti-Rozas and three royalists. So, the Santiago elections were the key to Rozas' desire to remain in power. This election was supposed to take place on April 10, but before they could be called, the mutiny broke out.
Once in control of the barracks, he paraded his troops, headed by drums, towards the main square with the intention of taking over the Government. He even stopped on the way to politely salute lady Mariana de Aguirre
, who came out to her balcony to see him go by. When he finally arrived to the government palace he found it empty since everyone had left at the news of his coming. Nonplussed, he directed himself to the Real Audiencia
that was still peacefully in session. There, the judges calmly heard his requests of restoring the old regime but only resolved to send a minute to the government transcribing his demands.
In the interval, the members of the Junta under the command of Fernando Márquez de la Plata
, sent Colonel Juan de Dios Vial with an Army Battalion composed of 500 men to put down the mutiny. A brief combat ensued in the main square but soon Figueroa's troops ran away or surrendered upon noticing that they didn't have any support for their movement. Colonel Figueroa, seeing his defeat, took refuge in the Santo Domingo Monastery.
The populace, under the leadership of Fr. Camilo Henríquez
, reacted angrily against the mutineers. Martínez de Rozas, who had been extraordinarily absent during the whole course of events, ordered that the monastery be broken into and Colonel Figueroa arrested, violating his right of sanctuary
. Rozas was well aware that if he didn't execute Figueroa quickly, the popular feeling would save him. So, he had him tried and sentenced to death in less than 24 hours.
When Figueroa was notified of his death sentence, he behaved bravely. He refused to name his co-conspirators and assumed the whole responsibility for the events. He was given four hours to prepare himself, and then was executed the next morning (April 2, 1811), at 3.30 AM. The body, with the face disfigured by the shots, was publicly exposed in the main square, outside the city jail.
, a longstanding pillar of Spanish crown control, and full independence gained momentum. Eventually, however, the Congress was duly elected. Moderates advocating only greater autonomy of the elites from Spanish Imperial control, without a complete rupture, gained the majority of seats, while a minority were held by revolutionaries who wanted complete and instant Independence from Spain
.
The popular feeling, that originally had reacted against Figueroa, was soon canalized against Rozas. The fact that he had not led the defense of the government and the fear of reprisals in case of a Royalist restoration made him very unpopular and it became politically expedient to get rid of him as soon as possible. He was immediately replaced as leader of the Junta by Fernando Marquez de la Plata
, and the very next year he was banished by his political rival, José Miguel Carrera
, never to recover power.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Background
When the First Government JuntaGovernment Junta of Chile (1810)
Government Junta of the Kingdom of Chile , also known as the First Government Junta, was the organ established to rule Chile following the deposition and imprisonment of King Ferdinand VII by Napoleon Bonaparte...
decreed that elections were to be held for a National Congress
National Congress of Chile
The National Congress is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile.The National Congress of Chile was founded on July 4, 1811...
, the decree left open to every administrative division of the country the decision of when to carry them. Immediately, political intrigue began amongst the ruling elite, with news of the political turbulence and wars of Europe
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
all the while coming in. It was eventually decided that elections would be held in 1811. By March of that year all major cities had held them with the exception of Santiago and Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. The great surprise up to that point were the results from the other center of power, Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
, in which Royalists had defeated the supporters of the president of the Junta, Juan Martínez de Rozas
Juan Martinez de Rozas
Juan Martínez de Rozas Correa was the earliest leader in the Chilean struggle for independence.He was born at Mendoza in 1759, the son of Juan Martínez de Soto Rozas and María Prudencia Correa Villegas. In his early life he was a professor of law, theology and philosophy at Santiago...
. In the rest of Chile, the results were more or less equally divided: twelve pro-Rozas delegates, fourteen anti-Rozas and three royalists. So, the Santiago elections were the key to Rozas' desire to remain in power. This election was supposed to take place on April 10, but before they could be called, the mutiny broke out.
Mutiny
The origins of the mutiny were never fully clarified. Close to the expected day for elections, the monarchist Lieutenant Colonel Tomás de Figueroa, who considered the notion of elections to be too populist, led the revolt. The night before a group of mutineers (who were never identified) proclaimed Colonel Figueroa as their chief, and early on the morning of April 1, 1811, he went to the San Pablo Army Barracks, taking command and mutinying the troops, in the mistaken belief that he had the support of all the other army units in Santiago.Once in control of the barracks, he paraded his troops, headed by drums, towards the main square with the intention of taking over the Government. He even stopped on the way to politely salute lady Mariana de Aguirre
Mariana de Aguirre
Mariana de Aguirre y Boza was First Lady of Chile as wife of Chile's late-1829 President Francisco Ramón Vicuña with whom she had six children....
, who came out to her balcony to see him go by. When he finally arrived to the government palace he found it empty since everyone had left at the news of his coming. Nonplussed, he directed himself to the Real Audiencia
Real Audiencia of Chile
Royal Audience of Santiago :-Structure:Law XII of Title XV of Book II of the Recopilación de Leyes de las Indias of 1680—which reproduces Philip IV's decree of February 17, 1609—describes the limits and functions of the Audiencia.In the city of Santiago de Chile shall...
that was still peacefully in session. There, the judges calmly heard his requests of restoring the old regime but only resolved to send a minute to the government transcribing his demands.
In the interval, the members of the Junta under the command of Fernando Márquez de la Plata
Fernando Márquez de la Plata
Fernando Márquez de la Plata y Orozco was a Spanish colonial functionary, and a member of the First Government Junta of Chile....
, sent Colonel Juan de Dios Vial with an Army Battalion composed of 500 men to put down the mutiny. A brief combat ensued in the main square but soon Figueroa's troops ran away or surrendered upon noticing that they didn't have any support for their movement. Colonel Figueroa, seeing his defeat, took refuge in the Santo Domingo Monastery.
The populace, under the leadership of Fr. Camilo Henríquez
Camilo Henríquez
Friar José Camilo Henríquez González was a priest, author, politician, and is considered an intellectual antecedent to and founding father of the Republic of Chile for his passionate leadership and influential writings...
, reacted angrily against the mutineers. Martínez de Rozas, who had been extraordinarily absent during the whole course of events, ordered that the monastery be broken into and Colonel Figueroa arrested, violating his right of sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
. Rozas was well aware that if he didn't execute Figueroa quickly, the popular feeling would save him. So, he had him tried and sentenced to death in less than 24 hours.
When Figueroa was notified of his death sentence, he behaved bravely. He refused to name his co-conspirators and assumed the whole responsibility for the events. He was given four hours to prepare himself, and then was executed the next morning (April 2, 1811), at 3.30 AM. The body, with the face disfigured by the shots, was publicly exposed in the main square, outside the city jail.
Aftermath
The mutiny was successful in that it temporarily sabotaged the elections, which had to be delayed until November of the same year. In addition, the revolt was used as a pretext for dissolving the Real AudienciaReal Audiencia of Chile
Royal Audience of Santiago :-Structure:Law XII of Title XV of Book II of the Recopilación de Leyes de las Indias of 1680—which reproduces Philip IV's decree of February 17, 1609—describes the limits and functions of the Audiencia.In the city of Santiago de Chile shall...
, a longstanding pillar of Spanish crown control, and full independence gained momentum. Eventually, however, the Congress was duly elected. Moderates advocating only greater autonomy of the elites from Spanish Imperial control, without a complete rupture, gained the majority of seats, while a minority were held by revolutionaries who wanted complete and instant Independence from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The popular feeling, that originally had reacted against Figueroa, was soon canalized against Rozas. The fact that he had not led the defense of the government and the fear of reprisals in case of a Royalist restoration made him very unpopular and it became politically expedient to get rid of him as soon as possible. He was immediately replaced as leader of the Junta by Fernando Marquez de la Plata
Fernando Márquez de la Plata
Fernando Márquez de la Plata y Orozco was a Spanish colonial functionary, and a member of the First Government Junta of Chile....
, and the very next year he was banished by his political rival, José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo was a Chilean general, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most important leader of the Chilean War of Independence during the period of the Patria Vieja...
, never to recover power.
See also
- Chilean IndependenceChilean IndependenceChilean War of Independence was an armed conflict between pro-Independence criollos who sought political and economic independence from Spain and royalist criollos, who supported the continued allegiance to and permanence within the Spanish Empire of the Kingdom of Chile...
- History of ChileHistory of ChileThe territory of Chile has been populated since at least 2,000 BC. By the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors began to subdue and colonize the region of present-day Chile, and the territory became a colony from 1540 to 1818, when it gained independence from Spain...
- List of coup d'état in ChileChilean coup d'étatThis is a list of the coups d'état that have taken place in Chile during its independent history:-1780s:...