Caudillos

Spanish American caudillos

Caudillos could bestow patronage on a large retinue of clients, who in turn gave them their loyalty. In general, caudillos' power benefited elites, but these strongmen were also mediators between elites and the popular classes, recruiting them into the power base, but also restraining them from achieving power themselves. For example, Federalist caudillos in the Argentinian provinces were able to build relationships with the rural poor, namely the gauchos and monteneros. As the war of the Triple Alliance spread, ideological language shifts occurred in Buenos Aires by the ruling Unitarians, who began referring to rural caudillos as barbarians and enemies of civilization. Unitarians tried to criminalize the federalists, illegitimizing their political position.