Diego Aráoz facts for kids

Diego Aráoz Valderrama (1771–1840) was an Argentine soldier. He served as governor of Tucumán Province many times in the early 1800s. This was a time of big political changes and disagreements among leaders in the province.

Early Life and Family

Diego Aráoz was born in 1771. His father was Francisco Javier de Aráoz Paz y Figueroa. His mother was María Petrona de Ledesma Valderrama Diez Andino. In 1804, he married Micaela Alurralde Ávila. Their daughter, Lucía Aráoz Alurralde, was born the next year.

Diego was a distant relative of Bernabé Aráoz. There was a strong rivalry between Diego and Bernabé. This rivalry likely started from family conflicts in the late 1700s.

The Republic of Tucumán

Bernabé Aráoz became governor of Tucumán in 1819. The next year, he declared the "Republic of Tucumán." This new republic included the areas that are now Tucumán Province, Santiago del Estero, and Catamarca.

The republic faced attacks from Martín Miguel de Güemes, who was the Governor of Salta. Bernabé Aráoz finally defeated Güemes in 1821. However, the Republic of Tucumán soon broke apart. Santiago del Estero and Catamarca became independent from Tucumán. In November 1821, Abraham González, a military leader, removed Bernabé Aráoz from power. Bernabé then went into hiding in the countryside.

Political Struggles in Tucumán

After the Republic of Tucumán dissolved, a power struggle began. Three main leaders fought for control of Tucumán Province. These leaders were Bernabé Aráoz, Diego Aráoz, and Javier López.

Diego Aráoz Becomes Governor

In January 1822, Javier López and Diego Aráoz worked together. They defeated Abraham González and removed him from power. However, López and Diego Aráoz could not agree on how to share power. It seemed like they would start fighting each other.

To solve this problem, the local council chose Diego Aráoz as governor. Soon after, Bernabé Aráoz returned to Tucumán. Javier López decided to support Bernabé. Eventually, Diego Aráoz stepped down, and Bernabé Aráoz took his place as governor.

More Conflicts and Changes

Diego Aráoz soon started new conflicts. The council tried to calm things down by appointing a new governor, Clemente Zavaleta. But the fighting continued. Javier López joined forces with Juan Felipe Ibarra from Santiago del Estero. They attacked Tucumán, but they were defeated.

Zavaleta resigned as governor. After him, Pedro Valarde took office. Then there was a group of three leaders, followed by Diego Aráoz again. Then Velarde was governor, and then Diego Aráoz once more.

In July 1822, Bernabé Aráoz defeated Diego Aráoz. Bernabé was then elected governor by the council. But Diego returned in August and defeated Bernabé. For a few days, Dr. Nicolás Laguna was in charge of the government.

End of Diego Aráoz's Political Career

In October, Bernabé Aráoz defeated the combined forces of Diego Aráoz and Javier López. This victory made Bernabé governor for the next eleven months.

In August 1823, Diego Aráoz attacked and took control of the city. Bernabé Aráoz gathered his forces in the countryside. He fought Javier López at the Rincón de Marlopa on August 25, 1823. Bernabé was defeated and fled to Salta.

Diego Aráoz and Javier López made their alliance stronger. Diego Aráoz's daughter, Lucía, married Javier López. After this, Diego Aráoz decided to support his son-in-law. He then ended his active political career. Dr. Laguna replaced Aráoz as governor.

Later Life

In February 1824, Javier López was appointed governor. In 1825, López was removed from power by Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid, a leader from the Unitarian party.

Diego Aráoz died in 1840.

See also

In Spanish: Diego Aráoz para niños