Antonio Luis Beruti (1772 – September 24, 1841) was an Argentine revolutionary who participated in the

May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) 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. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...

that started the Argentine War of Independence, and later fought in the Argentine civil wars.

Biography

Born in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, Beruti was educated in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. After concluding his studies, he returned to Argentina and joined the nascent independence movement, which he helped to organize. Along with Domingo French, he led a group of revolutionaries known as ''the Chisperos'', who played a pivotal role in the ''Semana de Mayo'', the week beginning on May 18, 1810, which culminated in the May Revolution. Along with French, he distributed white and blue ribbons to the populace, so that patriots could distinguish themselves from royalists. In the '' Cabildo Abierto'' of May 22, he voted for the deposition of the viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros and was the most fervent opposer to a ''

Junta Junta may refer to: Government and military * Junta (governing body) (from Spanish), the name of various historical and current governments and governing institutions, including civil ones ** Military junta, one form of junta, government led by ...

'' presided over by him. He was quoted as saying: "A Junta presided over by Cisneros is the same as Cisneros' viceroyalty". On May 25, he confronted the members of the Cabildo to demand the abolition of the

Viceroyalty A viceroyalty was an entity headed by a viceroy. It dates back to the Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century. France * Viceroyalty of New France Portuguese Empire In the scope of the Portuguese Empire, the term " Viceroyalt ...

and the election of a new junta. His demands were met, and that day the Cabildo elected Argentina's first independent executive, the

Primera Junta The Primera Junta ( en, First Junta) or ''Junta Provisional Gubernativa de las Provincias del Río de la Plata'' (''Provisional Governing Junta of the Provinces of the Río de la Plata''), is the most common name given to the first government of ...

, which was presided over by

Cornelio Saavedra Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez (September 15, 1759 in Otuyo – March 29, 1829 in Buenos Aires) was a military officer and statesman from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He was instrumental in the May Revolution, the firs ...

. A month later, Beruti was named lieutenant colonel of the America Regiment, created by the Junta, and organized by himself and Domingo French. A supporter of

Mariano Moreno Mariano Moreno (; September 23, 1778March 4, 1811) 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. Moreno was b ...

, Beruti remained faithful to his ideals even after Moreno's death. For this reason, he began attending meetings at the Café de Marcos, a center of opposition to the Saavedrist faction. On the fifth and sixth of April, 1811, the Saavedrists organized a coup against their opponents in the government.

Miguel de Azcuénaga Miguel de Azcuénaga (June 4, 1754 – December 19, 1833) was an Argentine brigadier. Educated in Spain, at the University of Seville, Azcuénaga began his military career in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and became a member of the ...

Hipólito Vieytes Juan Hipólito Vieytes (San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires Province, 6 August 1762 – San Fernando, Argentina, 5 October 1815), was an Argentine merchant and soldier. He was the son of Juan Vieytes and Petrona Mora Fernández de Agüero. ...

, and Nicolás Rodriguez Peña were forced to resign and subsequently exiled from Buenos Aires. Beruti, along with French, Donado, Posadas, and most other active members of the Patriotic Society, was exiled to – among other places –

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. Beruti then participated in the Chile campaign alongside General

José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and centr ...

in early 1817, and fought in the

Battle of Chacabuco The Battle of Chacabuco, fought during the Chilean War of Independence, occurred on February 12, 1817. The Army of the Andes of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, led by Captain–General José de San Martín, defeated a Spanish fo ...

. His wife, Doña Mercedes Ortíz, was one of the ladies who, the previous year, along with Doña Remedios de Escalada de San Martín, had donated their jewels for the liberation campaign. On March 13, 1817,

Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Alth ...

, at the request of San Martín, asked Beruti to return to the city of Mendoza and arranged his passport with governor Luzuriaga. He was able to return to Buenos Aires on November 17. He later became a member of the

Unitarian Party Unitarianists or Unitarians (in Spanish, ''Unitarios'') were the proponents of the concept of a unitary state (centralized government) in Buenos Aires during the civil wars that shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in ...

and participated in the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

against the

Federalists The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

. Beruti died on September 24, 1841, in the Battle of Rodeo del Medio, where he had fought under the command of Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid. He was buried in an unmarked grave and his remains have never been identified.

External links

Biography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beruti, Antonio 1772 births 1842 deaths Beruti, Antonio Luis Beruti, Antonio Luis Beruti, Antonio Luis People of the Argentine War of Independence