Juan Larrea (politician) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Juan Larrea (politician)

Encyclopedia

Juan Larrea is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, June 24, 1782 - Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

, 1847) was a Spanish

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...

businessman and politician in Buenos Aires during the early nineteenth century. He headed a military unit during the second British invasion of the Río de la Plata

British invasions of the Río de la Plata

The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...

, and worked at the Buenos Aires Cabildo

Buenos Aires Cabildo

The Buenos Aires Cabildo is the public building in Buenos Aires that was used as seat of the ayuntamiento during the colonial times and the government house of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...

. He took part in the ill-fated Mutiny of Álzaga

Mutiny of Álzaga

The Mutiny of Álzaga was an ill-fated attempt to remove Santiago de Liniers as viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It took place on January 1, 1809, and it was led by the merchant Martín de Álzaga...

. Larrea and Domingo Matheu

Domingo Matheu

Domingo Matheu was a Spanish businessman and politician. He was a member of the Primera Junta, the first national government of modern Argentina.- Biography :...

were the only two Spanish-born members of the Primera Junta

Primera Junta

The Primera Junta or First Assembly is the most common name given to the first independent government of Argentina. It was created on 25 May 1810, as a result of the events of the May Revolution. The Junta initially had representatives from only Buenos Aires...

, the first national government of Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

.

He supported the secretary Mariano Moreno

Mariano Moreno

Mariano Moreno was an Argentine lawyer, journalist, and politician. He played a decisive role in the Primera Junta, the first national government of Argentina, created after the May Revolution....

within the Junta, and was moved to the distant city of San Juan

San Juan, Argentina

San Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....

when the Morenists were removed from government. He returned as a deputy for Córdoba in the Assembly of Year XIII

Asamblea del Año XIII

The Assembly of Year XIII was a meeting called by the Second Triumvirate governing the young republic of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata on October 1812....

constituent assembly, promoting many resolutions. Together with Carlos María de Alvear

Carlos María de Alvear

Carlos María de Alvear was an Argentine soldier and statesman, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815....

, he organized the strategy for the downfall of the royalist stronghold in Montevideo

Montevideo

Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...

, a threat to Buenos Aires during the Argentine War of Independence

Argentine War of Independence

The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...

. Despite the victory, he faced political conflicts with admiral William Brown

William Brown (admiral)

Admiral William Brown was an Irish-born Argentine Admiral. Brown's victories in the Independence War, the Argentina-Brazil War, and the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata earned the respect and appreciation of the Argentine people, and today he is regarded as one of Argentina's national...

and an economic crisis, and was exiled from the country.

He moved to Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...

, France, but returned to Buenos Aires when his exile was lifted by the Oblivion law

Oblivion law

The Oblivion law was a 1821 Argentine Law promulgated by Martín Rodríguez, governor of the Buenos Aires province. It was promoted by his minister Bernardino Rivadavia, and set a general amnesty to all the people guilty of treason...

. He served as consul for a time, but his business declined and he committed suicide on June 20, 1847. He was the last surviving member of the Primera Junta.

Early life and Viceroyalty

Juan Larrea was born on June 24, 1782, in the city of Mataró

Mataró

Mataró is the capital and largest city of the comarca of the Maresme, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain. It is located on the Costa del Maresme, to the south of Costa Brava, between Cabrera de Mar and Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, to the north-east of Barcelona. , it...

, Catalonia

Catalonia

Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...

. His father was Martín Ramón de Larrea, who was in charge of customs operations in Mataró, and his mother was Tomasa Espeso. He studied mathematics and navigation, and focused his education towards a career in commerce. His father died in 1793, so Larrea became the patriarch of the family. They moved to Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

, where he established a warehouse for wines, leather, and sugar. He traded with Peru

Viceroyalty of Peru

Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...

, Upper Peru

Upper Peru

Upper Peru was the region in the Viceroyalty of Peru, and after 1776, the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, comprising the governorships of Potosí, La Paz, Cochabamba, Los Chiquitos, Moxos and Charcas...

, Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

, Chile

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...

and colonial Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. By 1806 he was a well respected businessman, and a syndic of the Royal Consulate

Commerce Consulate of Buenos Aires

The Commerce Consulate of Buenos Aires was one of the most important institutions of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, along with the viceroy, the Cabildo and the religious ones.The Consulate was built in 1794 at the request of local merchants...

. He promoted the role of deputies from Buenos Aires at the Madrid court, to better the representation of the Brazilian viceroyalty and reduce the privileges of peninsular merchants.

Buenos Aires and other nearby cities faced the British invasions of the Río de la Plata

British invasions of the Río de la Plata

in 1806 and 1807. In the absence of reinforcements from Spain, viceroy Santiago de Liniers

Santiago de Liniers

Jacques de Liniers was a French officer in the Spanish military service, and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He is more widely known by the Spanish form of his name, Santiago de Liniers...

arranged that everyone in Buenos Aires capable of bearing arms should join the resistance against the second invasion. Larrea established the Legion of Catalan Volunteers with Jaime Nadal y Guarda, Jaime Lavallol and José Olaguer Reynals. Larrea was appointed captain of this military unit. The defense was successful, and the British were driven away from the viceroyalty.

Larrea's business prospered, and in 1808 the Buenos Aires Cabildo

Buenos Aires Cabildo

appointed him to oversee a naval patrol to suppress shipments of contraband. This gave him an opportunity to put his nautical skills to use. He also participated in the secret meetings of patriots

Patriot (Spanish American Revolution)

Patriots was the name the peoples of the Spanish America, who rebelled against Spanish control during the Spanish American wars of independence, called themselves. They supported the principles of the Age of Enlightenment and sought to replace the existing governing structures with Juntas...

who promoted political change, and joined the 1809 Mutiny of Álzaga

Mutiny of Álzaga

, which attempted to depose viceroy Liniers and replace him with a Junta

Junta (Peninsular War)

In the Napoleonic era, junta was the name chosen by several local administrations formed in Spain during the Peninsular War as a patriotic alternative to the official administration toppled by the French invaders...

. The mutiny failed, but the patriots continued to plot, and in 1810 the May Revolution

May Revolution

The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...

succeeded in deposing the new viceroy. Larrea did not take part in the discussions at the open cabildo

Open cabildo

The open cabildo was a special mode of assembly of the inhabitants of Latin American cities during the Spanish colonial period, in case of emergencies or disasters. Usually, the colonial cities were governed by a Cabildo, municipal-type institutions composed of officials appointed by the colonial...

, but was appointed as member of the Primera Junta.

Primera Junta

Larrea's prestige as an influential businessman promoted his appointment as member of the Primera Junta

Primera Junta

. However, as with the other members, the precise reasons for his inclusion are unclear. The Junta's membership has been considered a balance between Carlotists

Carlotism

Carlotism was a political movement that took place in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata between 1808 and 1812; it intended to make Carlota Joaquina of Spain its queen. After Napoleon's invasion of Spain, Fernando VII was forced to abdicate and give the throne to Joseph Bonaparte...

and Alzaguists

Martín de Álzaga

Martín 'Macoco' de Álzaga was an Argentine racecar driver.-Indy 500 results:-External links:*...

. Larrea resigned his wages from his position as Junta member, and organized the resources for the upcoming war of independence

Argentine War of Independence

. Together with Manuel de Sarratea

Manuel de Sarratea

Manuel de Sarratea, , was an Argentine diplomat, politician and soldier. He is the son of Martin de Sarratea , of the richest merchant of Buenos-Aires and Tomasa Josefa de Altolaguirre...

he drafted a new code regulating business in Argentina, and he also secured the exile of former viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros

Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros

Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros de la Torre was a Spanish naval officer born in Cartagena. He took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent and the Battle of Trafalgar, and in the Spanish resistance against Napoleon's invasion in 1808. He was later appointed Viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la...

by bribing the captain of the ship carrying him, the Dart, to avoid any landfall until reaching the Canary Islands

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...

on the far side of the Atlantic. He supported the execution of Liniers after the defeat of his counter-revolution

Liniers Counter-revolution

When the May Revolution took place in Buenos Aires in 1810, the former viceroy Santiago de Liniers led an ill-fated counter-revolutionary attempt from the city of Córdoba. It was quickly thwarted by the patriotic forces from Buenos Aires led by Ortiz de Ocampo, who captured the leaders and...

, and supported the secretary Mariano Moreno

Mariano Moreno

Mariano Moreno was an Argentine lawyer, journalist, and politician. He played a decisive role in the Primera Junta, the first national government of Argentina, created after the May Revolution....

against the president Cornelio Saavedra

Cornelio Saavedra

Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez was a military officer and statesman from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...

. Larrea voted for the incorporation of deputies from other cities into the Junta, although he had previously indicated his opposition to the proposal. It was intended by Saavedra that this change would reduce Moreno's influence within the Junta.

The proposal prevailed, and the Primera Junta became the Junta Grande

Junta Grande

Junta Grande is the most common name for the executive government of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata , that followed the incorporation of provincial representatives into the Primera Junta .- Origin :...

by incorporating the new deputies. The resignation and death of Mariano Moreno did not reduce the conflicts between Morenists and Saavedrists. A rebellion on behalf of Saavedrism ensued, on 5 and 6 April 1811, aiming at the resignation of all remaining Morenists, including Larrea. Larrea was accused of joining factions and risking public security, and was deposed. Taken prisoner, he was moved to the nearby city of Luján, and then to the distant San Juan

San Juan, Argentina

Return to politics

Larrea resumed business activities in San Juan, avoiding politics until 1812. The Revolution of October 8, 1812

Revolution of October 8, 1812

The Revolution of October 8, 1812 took place during the Argentine War of Independence. Led by José de San Martín and Carlos María de Alvear, it deposed the First Triumvirate and allowed the creation of the Second Triumvirate, which called the Assembly of Year XIII.-Context:The First Triumvirate...

returned the Morenists to power, and so Larrea could return to Buenos Aires. He returned as a deputy for Córdoba to the Assembly of Year XIII

Asamblea del Año XIII

The Assembly of Year XIII was a meeting called by the Second Triumvirate governing the young republic of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata on October 1812....

constituent assembly.

In the assembly, Larrea promoted a customs law which taxed most imports, but made exceptions for machines, scientific tools, books, weapons and military supplies. He organized a local mint, and the supply of the Army of the North

Army of the North

The Army of the North , contemporaneously called Army of Peru, was one of the armies deployed by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in the Spanish American wars of independence. Its objective was freeing the Argentine Northwest and the Upper Peru from the royalist troops of the Spanish...

. The presidency of the assembly rotated, and Larrea presided from April 30 to June 1, 1813. During this time the Assembly outlawed torture and repealed all noble titles

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

, and also chose the official Argentine National Anthem

Argentine National Anthem

The Argentine National Anthem is the national anthem of Argentina. The name of the song originally was Marcha Patriótica , and was later renamed Canción Patriótica Nacional and finally Canción Patriótica . A copy published in 1847 called it Himno Nacional Argentino and the name has remained ever...

.

Larrea served briefly in the Second Triumvirate

Second Triumvirate (Argentina)

The Second Triumvirate was the governing body of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata that followed the First Triumvirate in 1812, shortly after the May Revolution, and lasted 2 years....

, replacing José Julián Pérez as finance minister, until the Assembly replaced the Triumvirate with the Supreme Director

Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata

The Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata , was a title given to the executive officers of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, according to the form of government established in 1814 by the Asamblea del Año XIII...

, an office placing the powers of head of state in the hands of one person. Gervasio Antonio de Posadas

Gervasio Antonio de Posadas

Gervasio Antonio de Posadas y Dávila was a member of Argentina's Second Triumvirate from 19 August 1813 to 31 January 1814, after which he served as Supreme Director until 9 January 1815....

was chosen as the first Supreme Director. Posadas was concerned about Montevideo

Montevideo

, a nearby city which had been under royalist control since the beginning of the war, and a constant threat to Buenos Aires. Carlos María de Alvear

Carlos María de Alvear

Carlos María de Alvear was an Argentine soldier and statesman, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815....

complemented the existing siege of Montevideo with a naval blockade, in which Larrea's expertise was instrumental. Alvear developed the military strategy, and Larrea took care of the financial aspects. Larrea drafted a report of the nature, costs and strength of the proposed navy, and the captains and sailors that were required, and planned to negotiate with the American William White. Larrea also appointed the Irish admiral William Brown

William Brown (admiral)

to lead the attack. The royalist forces in Montevideo were finally defeated in June, 1814.

Larrea did not get on well with Brown, who blamed him for disagremeents and supply shortages, and even for discontent among the sailors. Buenos Aires did not have a naval tradition, and therefore most of the people involved in the naval campaign were foreigners. As a result, their commitment to the war was often limited. After the capture of Montevideo, Larrea instructed Brown to report directly to the minister of war, and not correspond with himself. Nevertheless, the disagreements continued. Due to the economic crisis caused by the war, Larrea sold the captured ships, decommissioned the navy and sold off the government's own ships, but the sailors complained that they had not received their wages, their reward for the military victory nor their percentage of the sale of the captured ships. Larrea and White were blamed for this. Larrea resigned by the end of the year, after signing an order for the creation of an infantry and a cavalry regiment for the Army of the Andes

Army of the Andes

The Army of the Andes was a military force created by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and mustered by general José de San Martín in his campaign to free Chile from the Spanish Empire...

. Larrea blamed White for the unresolved dispute over the sailors' wages, declaring that he had arranged that White would organize the payment of the wages. Alvear resigned in 1815 after the mutiny of Álvarez Thomas, and all the members of his administration were put on trial. Larrea was accused of abuse of power, administrative fraud and stealing from the national treasury. All his properties were confiscated, and he was exiled.

Exile and return

After his exile, Larrea moved to Bordeaux

Bordeaux

in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and did business with some of his old associates. He continued correspondence with Bernardino Rivadavia

Bernardino Rivadavia

Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...

, and in 1818 he moved to Montevideo, under Brazilian control at that time, and strengthened his contacts in Buenos Aires from there. He was finally able to return to Buenos Aires in 1822 due to the oblivion law

Oblivion law

.

Once he returned to Buenos Aires, Larrea avoided political activities and concentrated on business activities. He established a mailing service between Buenos Aires and Le Havre

Le Havre

Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...

(France), but the venture failed. He then worked in animal husbandry

Animal husbandry

Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....

, both in Buenos Aires and in Montevideo. He was appointed consul of the United Provinces by governor Manuel Dorrego

Manuel Dorrego

Manuel Dorrego was an Argentine statesman and soldier. He was governor of Buenos Aires in 1820, and then again from 1827 to 1828....

, and moved back to Bordeaux to strengthen commerce with France.

He resigned as consul in 1830, shortly after the first appointment of Juan Manuel de Rosas

Juan Manuel de Rosas

Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...

as governor, and returned to private business once more. His business began to fail, and he lived at various times in Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...

and Bordeaux, before returning again to Buenos Aires. He committed suicide on June 20, 1847. He was the last surviving member of the Primera Junta.

External links

Biography at El Historiador

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