Figueroa mutiny

Figueroa mutiny (April 1, 1811) (Spanish: Motín de Figueroa) was a failed attempt to restore royal power and is the first coup d'état to in Chile.

When the First Government Junta decreed that elections were to be held for a National Congress, the decree left open to every administrative division of the country the decision of when to carry them. Immediately, political intrigue began amongst the ruling elite, with news of the political turbulence and wars of Europe all the while coming in. It was eventually decided that elections would be held in 1811. By March of that year all major cities had held them with the exception of Santiago and Valparaíso. The great surprise up to that point were the results from the other center of power, Concepción, in which Royalists had defeated the supporters of the president of the Junta, Juan Martínez de Rozas. In the rest of Chile, the results were more or less equally divided: twelve pro-Rozas delegates, fourteen anti-Rozas and three royalists. So, the Santiago elections were the key to Rozas' desire to remain in power. This election was supposed to take place on April 10, but before they could be called, the mutiny broke out.

The origins of the mutiny were never fully clarified. Close to the expected day for elections, the monarchist Lieutenant Colonel Tomás de Figueroa, who considered the notion of elections to be too populist, led the revolt. The night before a group of mutineers (who were never identified) proclaimed Colonel Figueroa as their chief, and early on the morning of April 1, 1811, he went to the San Pablo Army Barracks, taking command and mutinying the troops, in the mistaken belief that he had the support of all the other army units in Santiago.

Once in control of the barracks, he paraded his troops, headed by drums, towards the main square with the intention of taking over the Government. He even stopped on the way to politely salute lady Mariana de Aguirre, who came out to her balcony to see him go by. When he finally arrived to the government palace he found it empty since everyone had left at the news of his coming. Nonplussed, he directed himself to the Real Audiencia that was still peacefully in session. There, the judges calmly heard his requests of restoring the old regime but only resolved to send a minute to the government transcribing his demands.

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