Ambrosio de Benavides

Ambrosio de Benavides Medina Liñán y Torres (January 20, 1718 – April 27, 1787 ) was a Spanish colonial administrator who served as Royal Governor of Puerto Rico, Royal Governor of Charcas and Royal Governor of Chile.

Benavides was born in Granada, the son of Juan Carlos de Benavides Mesía Ponce de León, head of the Inquisition in Cordoba, and of his wife, María Teresa de Medina Liñán y Torres. In 1738, he joined the Spanish Army as a cadet, eventually being posted to Málaga, Ceuta and Melilla. He became an infantry captain in 1741, a sergeant major in 1754, a lieutenant colonel in 1760 and a full colonel in 1761. On September 25, 1760 he was appointed governor of Puerto Rico by King Ferdinand VI of Spain.

Benavides was notified of his appointment as Captain General of Chile in May 1780, and immediately started the long trip overland. He had to stop and winter in the city of Mendoza but finally managed to arrive to Santiago on December 11, assuming his position the next day. Nonetheless, the long and arduous journey took a heavy toll on his health from which he never really recovered.

As soon as Benavides arrived, he was faced with the so-called Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios, where 2 Frenchmen, Antonio Gramusset and Antonio Berney, and a criollo, José Antonio de Rojas, inspired by the Enlightenment ideals, had formulated a plan to establish Chile as an independent republic. All three conspirators were secretly arrested on January 1, 1781, putting an end to any possible civil unrest before it even started.

The fall of 1783 was one of the harshest on record for Chile. On April 13, a strong earthquake affected Santiago and on June 16, the Mapocho River, after nine days of uninterrupted rain, flooded the city. The river first overran its course to the orient of the city, and came down the Alameda (which itself is a former river branch). Soon it also overran the dikes flooding all the north side (La Cañadilla) of the city. The whole downtown area became an island surrounded by water on all sides. Many nuns, such as the carmelitas de San Rafael had to be rescued on horseback from their isolated monasteries. Finally the storm abated on the 17th, without casualties but with great economic losses.

...
Wikipedia