Antonio de Acuna y Cabrera

Francisco Antonio de Acuña Cabrera y Bayona (Spain; 1597 - Lima; 1662), Spanish soldier, governor of the Kingdom of Chile between 1650-1656.

He was the son of Antonio de Cabrera y Acuña and Águeda de Bayona, he was a Knight of the Habit of Santiago and a soldier by profession. After serving in Flanders and France, he went to Peru as field master of El Callao and general, later being appointed governor of Chile.

Governor of Chile

The governor Don Antonio de Acuña y Cabrera, disembarked in the city of Concepción on May 4, 1650, with his wife and his brothers-in-law, the Salazar Palavicinos, being greeted with artillery salutes; three days later, on May 7, 1650, he was solemnly received by the Cabildo in his governorship.

In the parliament of Boroa (1651) a peace agreement was reached with the indigenous peoples, broken two years later.

The terrible conduct of the Arauco war, whose direction he entrusted to his brothers-in-law, the military disasters, with considerable loss of lives, food and weapons, and the siege that the victorious Indians carried out on Concepción, This caused a riot in the city of Concepción. The council, the residents, and part of the Penquista army rose up in arms on the morning of February 20. With sword in hand and shouting "Long live the King, death to the bad governor!" "Death to the thief!" and raising the royal banner, the penquistas went to the entrance of the governor's palace. He escaped to the Jesuit College , where he took refuge.

Meanwhile, the Concepción council decided to elect a replacement for Acuña, and opinions were divided between Ambrosio de Urra, Juan Fernández Rebolledo and Francisco de la Fuente Villalobos. The latter was chosen to fill the position on an interim basis.

The news quickly reached Santiago, where the Royal Audience was located. And although all the listeners were of the opinion that Acuña's ineptitude in the performance of his position caused the ruin of the country, they unanimously decided not to support the action of the penquista council. Then Acuña fled to the capital of the kingdom, believing himself restored to his position.

A few months later, the Viceroy of Peru, Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, ordered him to appear before him. Acuña did not comply with the order, so a new governor, Pedro Porter Casanate, was appointed. And his first task was to force Acuña to leave the country, who would arrive in Lima where he would die later.

Fonts

• José Toribio Medina, Colonial biographical dictionary of ChileImpr. Elzeviriana, Santiago, 1906, pp. 8-9.