Francisco Antonio de Acuña Cabrera y Bayona facts for kids

Francisco Antonio de Acuña Cabrera y Bayona (born in Spain in 1597, died in Lima in 1662) was an important Spanish soldier. He served as the governor of the Captaincy General of Chile from 1650 to 1656. His father, Antonio de Cabrera y Acuña, was a knight and a professional soldier. Francisco also served in wars in Flanders and France. Later, he moved to Peru and became a general in El Callao before being chosen as the governor of Chile. He was married to Juana de Salazar.

Governor of Chile

Francisco Acuña Cabrera's time as governor was quite challenging. He faced many difficulties with the native people and the local citizens, known as vecinos, especially in Concepción.

Peace and Conflict

In 1651, Governor Acuña Cabrera signed a peace agreement with the indigenous people at the Parliament of Boroa (1651). However, this peace did not last long. Just two years later, relations became tense. A group of Mapuche people called the Cuncos, who lived in the south, attacked and killed Spanish survivors from a shipwreck. This shipwreck was carrying valuable goods meant for the city of Valdivia.

The Spanish sent small groups to punish those responsible, but they were not satisfied with the results. Some Jesuit priests, like Diego de Rosales and Juan de Moscoso, tried to convince the governor not to start a full war again. They argued that only a few people were involved in the killings and that renewed fighting would destroy the peace achieved at Boroa.

Trouble and Uprising

Unfortunately, the governor's brother-in-law, Juan de Salazar, and his followers caused more trouble. They went into Mapuche territory, hoping to gain from the conflict by taking people captive. This made things much worse.

In 1654, a Spanish expedition failed at the Battle of Río Bueno. Then, in 1655, a big revolt began. The citizens of Concepción were very unhappy with Governor Acuña Cabrera. They declared that he was no longer in charge, shouting, "The king lives! The bad governor dies!"

However, other important groups, like the city council of Santiago (called the Cabildo), the highest court (the Audiencia), and the war council (the Junta de Guerra), did not agree with Concepción's decision. They put Governor Acuña Cabrera back in control.

End of His Rule

Because of all these problems, the Viceroy of Peru, who was the highest Spanish official in the region, ordered Governor Acuña Cabrera to come to him. Acuña did not obey this order. So, a new governor, Pedro Porter Casanate, was appointed. His first job was to make sure Acuña returned to Lima. Francisco Acuña Cabrera died in Lima shortly after his return.

See also

• In Spanish: Antonio de Acuña y Cabrera para niños