Who were the caudillos?

A leader Is a military and political leader, authoritarian cut that leads a group of people and guides them to achieve the power to achieve a series of political and social changes that affect their followers, or once in power, In it, imposing a legality on its image.

The caudillos were part of the caudillismo phenomenon, that was located mainly in South America and had its maximum extension in the second half of century XIX, when the Spanish colonies had just obtained their independence. Throughout this period, the caudillos fought the power of many of the nascent countries.

The caudillos were Gamarra, Artigas or Paez among others

The common characteristics of the chief leaders are Strong personalistic leadership Which he maintains about a certain group, the lack of a precise and delimited ideology, his ambition for power, the charisma he has over the group that dominates and in many cases success and victories in the military field.

The emergence of caudillismo in the South American countries had different reasons. The countries had recently become independent and national identities were not formed, after attempts at union such as that of Great Colombia had failed. The caudillos emerged as leaders of specific regions seeking a preponderance of national power.

The absence of a consolidated oligarchy that took over power in the countries and the lack of communication channels between the different regions of the nations and federations brought up leaders who dominated parts of the countries and who wanted to take power at the national level. For this, they received the support of the peasantry that exalted the leaders of caudillismo.

Understanding the caudillos as the military leaders who dominated South America during the nineteenth century, endowing it with instability and constant revolutions and civil wars, can be understood that this phenomenon culminated in the early twentieth century.

However, the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco Was called Caudillo of Spain by the Grace of God, reason why the term maintained its validity. There are even authors who point to leaders of Latin American leaders who have come to power by democratic means but have imposed an authoritarian government.

Historical Context of caudillismo

In the first decades of the nineteenth century, the Spanish colonies in America had begun their emancipation processes following the French invasion of Napoleon to the Iberian Peninsula, in which they made the monarch Ferdinand VII abdicate.

The elites of the American capitals grouped together to ignore the French authority over Spain and, in turn, begin an independence approach that would lead to great wars that would wipe out much of the population.

All attempts at American integration failed, constituting as many republics as there were viceroyalties, captaincies and Spanish provinces. The independence period had new leaders, because the liberators of South America were no longer present.

José de San Martín Had been exiled in France, where he would die decades later and Simon Bolivar Died in Santa Marta in 1830 at the age of 47, a victim of tuberculosis.

Origins of caudillismo

America was already independent. The Creole whites Constituted the elites who always longed for power and were prevented because the highest positions were occupied by peninsular targets.

After the wars of independence, military leaders who were not necessarily Creole targets became part of the power at the same level as the others. The war provided a new social hierarchical order, although slavery was still in force (Domínguez and Franceschi, 1980).

Countries were newly formed and the population was not yet perceived as a member of a particular state. Throughout the region struggles were fought between centralism and federalism, and even in some countries, doubts remained about the republican form.

Probably with the exception of José Gaspar Rodríguez from France Which kept Paraguay under dictatorship for several decades, in all countries emerged regional leadership with the support of popular fighters.

Since the nations were very new, no armed forces had been formed to dominate the entire territory, and to maintain control of all public offices. For this reason, all sorts of insurrections, revolts and revolutions that sometimes ended up in wars (de Veracoechea and Yépez, 2009) were provoked.

Internal communication channels between nations were, in many cases, non-existent. This reinforced the isolation of many regions where caudillos emerged that responded to the interests of the populations in those areas (Domínguez and Franceschi, 1980).

Characteristics of the caudillos

According to Balladares (2010), using the proposal of the historian Inés Quintero, a caudillo"is a personalist political leadership, based on the control by means of the charisma of an armed host that obeys its designs and determines its ability to Negotiation before power."

In the South American countries a caudillismo prevailed, that maintained to a national caudillo and to many other regional caudillos always with eagerness to conquer the power.

The caudillos took actions framed in the concept of caudillaje, that was the own attitude of the caudillos and more specifically, the way in which they governed or directed to its group.

Being the charismatic caudillos and with a strong and consolidated personality, as a result of demonstrating their command and military capabilities, they had an attitude of tyrannical rule and a personal character, favoring client relationships and compadrazgo.

Important Caudillos

Throughout the nineteenth century, in the Latin American countries there were outstanding caudillos, who dominated their countries for many decades. In Venezuela, for example, José Antonio Páez Forged the separation of the Great Colombia and exerted the iron power of the country in three presidencies.

In Uruguay until its withdrawal, José Gervasio Artigas Exercises domain. In Peru Agustín Gamarra Was determinant to stop the Bolivarian expansion and after his death the caudillos multiplied.

New caudillos

With the establishment of the dictatorship in Spain after the triumph of the national side in the Civil War, Francisco Franco Bahamonde was appointed head of state, maintaining the title of Caudillo of Spain by the Grace of God.

In the twentieth century several authors have tried to adapt the term caudillo to the current conditions. For example, Mauceri (1997) identifies elements of caudillo in the figure of the Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori .

References

  1. Balladares, C. (2010). The concept of"caudillo"in Simón Rodríguez through his work Defense of Bolivar (1830).Logoi, (17), 121-132.
  2. (2016).Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1.
  3. De Veracoechea, E. and Yépez, A. (2009). History of Venezuela 2. Caracas: Larense.
  4. . Caudillos and Constitutions.Harvard International Review, 32 (2), 24-27.
  5. Dominguez, F and Franceschi, N. (1980). History of Contemporary Venezuela. Caracas: Ediciones Co-Bo.
  6. López, E. (2014). The shadow of the Caudillo. A reflection on the tyranny.Review of The College of San Luis, July-December, 218-241.
  7. Márquez, A. (February 8, 2004). Leader. WebArticulista. Retrieved from webarticulista.net.free.fr.
  8. Mauceri, P. (1997). Return of the caudillo: autocratic democracy in Peru.Third World Quarterly, 18 (5), 899-911. Doi: 10.1080 / 01436599714650.


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