Junta (Spanish American Independence)

Alternative to independence used in Spanish colonies in the Americas A Junta (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxunta]) was a form of extraordinary government established in Spain and Spanish America during the crisis of the Spanish Monarchy that began in 1808. In Spanish America, juntas were generally formed in urban centers and frequently developed from existing cabildos(municipal councils), enlarged by the participation of other prominent members of the local community. Overview Juntas emerged following the Abdications of Bayonne and the resulting absence of a generally recognized legitimate monarch. Spanish Americans initially responded to the crisis in ways similar to those adopted in Peninsular Spain, drawing on traditional institutions and legal concepts to justify the creation of extraordinary governments. The Siete Partidas provided a legal precedent for assemblies of local notables to resolve situations not covered by existing law ("vacatio legis"). However, applying this mechanism to the absence of the legitimate king ("vacatio regis") was an innovation of the crisis of 1808. The resulting concept of retroversion of sovereignty held that the authority exercised by the king rever