Antonio Beruti
Encyclopedia
Antonio Luis Beruti was an Argentine
revolutionary who participated in the May Revolution
that started the Argentine War of Independence
, and later fought in the Argentine civil wars.
Born in Buenos Aires
, Beruti was educated in Spain
. 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
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
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
, which was presided over by Cornelio Saavedra
.
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
, 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
, Hipólito Vieytes
, 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
.
Beruti then participated in the Chile campaign alongside General José de San Martín
in early 1817, and fought in the Battle of Chacabuco
. 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
, 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
and participated in the civil war
against the Federalists
.
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.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
revolutionary who participated in the May Revolution
May Revolution
The May Revolution 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, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...
that started the Argentine War of Independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
, and later fought in the Argentine civil wars.
Born in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Beruti was educated in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. After concluding his studies, he returned to Argentina and joined the nascent independence movement, which he helped to organize. Along with Domingo French
Domingo French
Domingo French was an Argentine revolutionary who took part in the May Revolution and the Argentine War of Independence.- Biography :...
, 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
Buenos Aires Cabildo
The Buenos Aires Cabildo is the public building in Buenos Aires that was used as seat of the ayuntamiento during the colonial times and the government house of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...
Abierto of May 22, he voted for the deposition of the viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros de la Torre was a Spanish naval officer born in Cartagena. He took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent and the Battle of Trafalgar, and in the Spanish resistance against Napoleon's invasion in 1808. He was later appointed Viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la...
and was the most fervent opposer to a Junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
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
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
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
Primera Junta
The Primera Junta or First Assembly is the most common name given to the first independent government of Argentina. It was created on 25 May 1810, as a result of the events of the May Revolution. The Junta initially had representatives from only Buenos Aires...
, which was presided over by Cornelio Saavedra
Cornelio Saavedra
Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez was a military officer and statesman from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...
.
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
Mariano Moreno 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....
, 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
Miguel de Azcuénaga was an Argentine general who fought for the Province of Buenos Aires.Born in Buenos Aires, he was the son of Vicente de Azcuénaga and Rosa de Basavilvaso. He received an Spanish education in Málaga and Seville...
, Hipólito Vieytes
Hipólito Vieytes
Juan Hipólito Vieytes, was an Argentine merchant and soldier. He was born in San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires Province on 6 August 1762, son of Juan Vieytes and Petrona Mora Fernández de Agüero...
, and Nicolás Rodriguez Peña
Nicolás Rodríguez Peña
Nicolás Rodriguez Peña was an Argentine politician. Born in Buenos Aires in April 1775, he worked in commerce which allowed him to amass a considerable fortune. Among his several successful businesses, he had a soap factory partnership with Hipólito Vieytes, which was a center of conspirators...
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
Patriotic Society
Patriotic Society can refer to two Polish organizations:* National Patriotic Society formed by Walerian Łukasiński* Patriotic Society or Patriotic Club formed by various activists during the November Uprising...
, was exiled to – among other places – Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Beruti then participated in the Chile campaign alongside General José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
in early 1817, and fought in the Battle of Chacabuco
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 General Captain José de San Martín defeated the Spanish force led by Rafael Maroto...
. 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
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
, at the request of San Martín, asked Beruti to return to the city of Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
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
Unitarian Party
Unitarianists or Unitarians were the proponents of the concept of a Unitary state in Buenos Aires during the civil wars which shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces...
and participated in the civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
against the Federalists
Federales (Argentina)
Federales was the name under which the supporters of federalism in Argentina were known, opposing the Unitarios that claimed a centralised government of Buenos Aires Province, with no participation of the other provinces of the custom taxes benefits of the Buenos Aires port...
.
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
Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid
Comandante General Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid was an Argentine military leader and, briefly, governor of several provinces like Córdoba, Mendoza and his native province of Tucumán.Lamadrid fought beside General Belgrano and General San Martín during the Argentine War of Independence, as a prominent...
. He was buried in an unmarked grave and his remains have never been identified.