Tomás Brizuela
| Tomás Brizuela | |
|---|---|
| Governor of La Rioja Province, Argentina | |
|
In office 3 February 1831 – 15 March 1831 |
|
| Preceded by | Domingo Eugenio Villafañe |
| Succeeded by | Paulino Orihuela |
| Governor of La Rioja Province, Argentina | |
|
In office 20 May 1837 – 1 May 1841 |
|
| Preceded by | Juan A. Carmona |
| Succeeded by | José Manuel Figueroa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1800 La Rioja, Argentina |
| Died | 1841 Sañogasta |
| Nationality | Argentine |
Tomás Brizuela (c. 1800 – 20 June 1841 ) was a soldier and caudillo in Argentina. He was a lieutenant of Facundo Quiroga in his home province of La Rioja, governor of La Rioja between 1836 and 1841, and died fighting against the dictatorship of Juan Manuel de Rosas.
Tomás Brizuela was born in the Province of La Rioja around 1800. He was known as the "Zarco" for his blue eyes. As a young man he joined the Federalist forces. He accompanied Quiroga in the Battle of El Tala against Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid, and as infantry leader in the Battle of Rincón de Valladares, where he earned promotion to Colonel. He later fought in the Federal defeat of the Battle of La Tablada. When the province was invaded by Lamadrid, after the Federal defeat in the Battle of Oncativo he was taken prisoner by Lieutenant Colonel Melián. Lamadrid ordered him shot, but Melián saved his life.
In late 1830 Brizuela joined the fight to recover La Rioja for his party, and occupied the provincial capital. On 3 February 1831 he was briefly appointed governor. Soon after the news came of the victory of Quiroga in the Battle of Rodeo de Chacon, which gave him control of Cuyo. Brizuela joined forces with Quiroga and was commander of the provincial army during the following years. On 15 January 1836 he repulsed the invasion of San Juan Governor Martín Yanzón and counterattacked, occupying the city of San Juan and forcing Yanzón to flee. On 20 May 1837 he was appointed governor of La Rioja by the provincial legislature. He did not achieve much as a governor. At this time his character changed completely, with him becoming an alcoholic.
In early 1840, the Liberals and Unitarians of the northern provinces formed the Northern Coalition and invited Brizuela to join. He was named commander of the Coalition, but nobody accepted his orders. The Unitarian officers who arrived from Chile such as Colonel Juan Esteban Pedernera, sent to be his chief of staff, and those who come later with Lavalle, despised him for being an alcoholic and leader of irregular montoneras units. Taking his role seriously, he tried to convince the Santiago leader Juan Felipe Ibarra to join him, but Ibarra refused and remained true to Juan Manuel de Rosas.
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