Government Junta of Chile (1823)
Encyclopedia
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...
following the resignation of Supreme Director Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
. It ruled the country until April 4, 1823, when Ramón Freire assumed as the new Supreme Director.
Creation
During most of 1822, Chile had grown increasingly opposed to the conservative rule of Bernardo O'HigginsBernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
, and especially to the economic policies of his minister José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea
José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea
José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea was a Chilean politician....
, who was widely accused of widespread corruption. The situation came to a head on January 28, 1823, when O'Higgins, in a very emotional speech and with the objective of preventing a civil war, voluntarily resigned his position in front of a convention of the principal citizens of Santiago. The power was vested then on the hands of a Government Junta, that was to rule until power could be transferred to a new Supreme Director, to be selected with the consent of the rest of the provinces.
Members
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Agustín de Eyzaguirre y Arechavala |
| Member | Fernando Errázuriz Aldunate Fernando Errázuriz Fernando de Errázuriz y Martínez de Aldunate , also known as Fernando Errázuriz Aldunate, was a Chilean political figure. He served as provisional president of Chile in 1831. He was of Basque descent.... |
| Member | José Miguel Infante y Rojas José Miguel Infante José Miguel Infante y Rojas was a Chilean statesman and political figure. He served several times as deputy and minister, and was the force behind the Federalist movement in that country.-Early life:... |
History
The Junta was composed of the principal representatives of the various factions that were vying for power. Agustín Eyzaguirre was elected president, with Fernando Errázuriz and José Miguel Infante as members. This Junta only functioned until March 29, 1823, when it designated General Ramón Freire as the new Supreme Director and proceeded to dissolve itself.Nonetheless, General Freire was not in Santiago at the time of his nomination, so power was assumed by a "Plenipotentiaries Congress" made up of representatives of the three provinces in which the country was divided then. This "congress" held power for a week until the arrival of General Freire and his assumption of executive power on April 4 (some authors consider April 5 as the actual date), of 1823.
See also
- 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 Government Juntas of Chile
- List of Heads of StatePresident of ChileThe President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...