Gregorio de Hinestrosa facts for kids

Gregorio de Hinestrosa lived around 1610 to 1647. He was the Governor of Paraguay from June 27, 1641, until February 2, 1647.

Early Life and Career

Gregorio de Hinestrosa was born in Chile, which was part of Spain's big empire in South America. His family had a long history of serving the Spanish government and military. Gregorio followed in their footsteps and became an officer. He reached the rank of Maestre de Campo, which meant he was a high-ranking commander of the local army in Chile.

During his time in Chile, Hinestrosa was captured and held hostage by some local native groups for a long time. After he was set free, he served as the mayor of the Atacama region in Chile for a while. Later, he traveled to Spain to fight in a war between Spain and France. He showed great bravery during the Siege of Fuenterrabía in 1638. Because of his excellent service, he was given the important job of Governor of Paraguay.

Governor of Paraguay

Gregorio de Hinestrosa's time as Governor of Paraguay is mostly remembered for his big disagreement with Bernardino de Cárdenas. Cárdenas was the bishop of Paraguay and a member of the Franciscan religious group. Both Hinestrosa and Cárdenas arrived in Paraguay in 1641. Both men were very proud and strong-willed, and their strong personalities soon led to a rivalry for power.

At first, both Hinestrosa and Cárdenas were popular with the people. However, by 1644, Cárdenas started to gain more support. The Jesuits, who ran special communities for native people nearby, supported Governor Hinestrosa. On the other hand, the Franciscans and the Spanish settlers in Paraguay supported Bishop Cárdenas.

A Big Disagreement

Cárdenas often spoke out against the Jesuits. He claimed they were teaching "wrong religious ideas" to the native people. Meanwhile, Hinestrosa and the Jesuits argued that Cárdenas's appointment as bishop in 1638 was not proper because it didn't have an official order from the Pope.

Hinestrosa ordered guards to be placed at the Jesuit college in Asunción, the capital city. But he wasn't sure if the local army would be loyal to him. So, he did something unusual: he asked the Jesuit priests to send their native armies for help. While past governors had asked the Jesuits for help against enemies like the Portuguese or hostile native groups, asking for native support against the Spanish settlers in Paraguay was seen as a big insult by the Paraguayans.

Under Hinestrosa's orders, the local church leaders said that Cárdenas was no longer the official bishop. Cárdenas was then told to leave Paraguay. However, Cárdenas continued to spread his ideas against Hinestrosa from a nearby town called Corrientes. The province of Paraguay remained in a state of confusion and disorder until Hinestrosa's time as governor ended in 1647.

After His Time as Governor

After Hinestrosa, Diego de Escobar y Osorio became the new governor. Escobar y Osorio criticized Hinestrosa for building a new home for himself using materials from a house that belonged to an army widow. After Escobar y Osorio died in 1649, the people of Paraguay elected Hinestrosa's rival, Bishop Cárdenas, as their new governor.

See also

In Spanish: Gregorio de Hinestrosa para niños