Government Junta of Chile ( es, Junta de Representantes) (January 28, 1823 – March 29, 1823), was the political structure established to rule
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 ...
following the resignation of
Supreme Director 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. Althou ...
. It ruled the country until April 4, 1823, when
Ramón Freire
Ramón Freire Serrano (; November 29, 1787 – December 9, 1851) was a Chilean political figure. He was head of state on several occasions, and enjoyed a numerous following until the War of the Confederation. Ramón Freire was one of the pr ...
assumed as the new
Supreme Director.
Creation
During most of 1822, Chile had grown increasingly opposed to the conservative rule of
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. Althou ...
, and especially to the economic policies of his minister
José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea
José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea (August 6, 1779 – June 3, 1841) was a 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 Antarc ...
, 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
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
Ramón Freire Serrano (; November 29, 1787 – December 9, 1851) was a Chilean political figure. He was head of state on several occasions, and enjoyed a numerous following until the War of the Confederation. Ramón Freire was one of the pr ...
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.
Additional information
See also
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History of Chile
The territory of Chile has been populated since at least 3000 BC. By the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors began to colonize the region of present-day Chile, and the territory was a colony between 1540 and 1818, when it gained independence from ...
*
List of Government Juntas of Chile
*
List of Heads of State
This is a list of current heads of state and heads of government. In some cases, mainly in presidential systems, there is only one leader being both head of state and head of government. In other cases, mainly in semi-presidential and parliament ...
External links
Historical Analysis of the Military Coups in Chile
Government of Chile
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