Battle of Paraguari

Battle of Paraguarí

Military operations in Paraguay (in Spanish)

Date	January 19, 1811
Location	Paraguarí, Paraguay
Result	Belgrano forced to withdraw southward.

Belligerents

Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata

Province of Paraguay

Commanders and leaders

Manuel Belgrano

Bernardo de Velasco

Strength

1,000 soldiers

4,600 soldiers

Casualties and losses

120 prisoners, 10 deaths

16 prisoners, 30 deaths

The battle of Paraguarí took place on January 19, 1811, in Paraguarí (Paraguay), between the patriot army led by Manuel Belgrano and the Royalist army located in Paraguay led by Bernardo de Velasco. The battle would end with a Paraguayan victory; but it boosted confidence in the local population to declare themselves independent from both Buenos Aires patriots and royalists months later.

At the outbreak of the May Revolution in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, the government emerged from it, called (in Spanish) Junta Provisional Gubernativa de las Provincias del Río de la Plata a nombre del señor don Fernando VII, invited other cities and provinces of the same to join the Revolution. The invitation, in fact, left no room for refusal, and every gesture in the sense of preserving the pre-revolutionary government was interpreted as hostile.

The main threats came from Cordoba, Upper Peru, Montevideo and Asuncion. The first two were defeated with relative ease, but Montevideo would stand firm in their opposition for four years.

Paraguayan governor, Bernardo de Velasco, refused to recognize the authority of the Board, as a result of an open cabildo in Asuncion that decided to keep the loyalty to the Regency Counsel of Spain. Unaware of this, and assuming that the Paraguayan patriots were stronger than they were, the Junta sent a small military expedition, commanded by one of its members, Manuel Belgrano, to unite the territory governed by Paraguay, through negotiations or through force. The issue was raised as it passed through Santa Fe, but the invitation to recognize the authority of the Junta was rejected.

Belgrano entered into Paraguayan territory, overcoming slight resistance in the battle of Campichuelo. Belgrano crossed the Tebicuary River on 11 January, finding abandoned villages since Velasco evacuated them with his retreat.

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