Eustaquio Díaz Vélez

Eustaquio Díaz Vélez (Buenos Aires, 1782 – 1856) was an Argentine soldier who fought in the Argentine War of Independence and in the civil wars of his country.

Beginnings

His name was originally "Eustoquio" ("Eustochio Antonio" as it says in his baptism document), but he is known to history as Eustaquio. He was born in Buenos Aires on 2 November 1782. His parents were Francisco José Díaz Vélez, a merchant from Huelva, Spain and María Petrona de Aráoz, from Tucumán, Argentina, both from prominent colonial families.

Díaz Vélez entered the army in his youth, in the "Frontier Blandengues" Regiment. He combined his military functions with commerce, where he made some money. He collaborated with Santiago de Liniers in the fight against the British invasions and then he became part of the "Patricios Regiment". During the revolution of 1 January 1809 he fought next to the loyals of Liniers and was wounded. That action obtained for him the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He was in good relations with the conspirators who, before the 1810, wanted the independence of their country. He supported the May Revolution and his first military mission was to occupy Colonia del Sacramento, where he captured a good quantity of ammunition, but which would soon fall again under royalist control.

Upper Peru campaign

He was part of the Army of the North and the defeat at Cotagaita. Weeks later, on 7 November 1810, he fought at the Battle of Suipacha, the first victory of the rebel forces, which instigated the revolutionary movements at Potosí, Chuquisaca, La Paz and Cochabamba in Upper Peru (today's Bolivia). By order of Juan José Castelli, he executed the royalist leaders Nieto, Córdova and Sanz in Potosí. He was later promoted to the rank of colonel.

Castelli signed an armistice with the SPanish commander José Manuel de Goyeneche, but subsequent events showed neither of them was intending to abide by it. Díaz Vélez and Juan José Viamonte, commanding their regiments, were sent as advance parties towards the border. When a royalist attack came at the Battle of Huaqui, on 19 June 1811, both regiments were almost destroyed without having received help not being able to help the rest of the army themselves.

The retreat was a disaster and lacking any support, they ran as North as they could reaching Humahuaca. Antonio González Balcarce was replaced by Juan Martín de Pueyrredón in command of the army.

Díaz Vélez took also part on the organization of the Éxodo Jujeño, under the command of Manuel Belgrano. He created a cavalry corps and was in charge of protecting the rear of the exodus. When the patriots were overtaken and it looked like defeat, Díaz Vélez reacted quickly and counterattacked at the battle of Las Piedras, obtaining a victory which helped revert the morale of the troops.

In part because of this victory, Belgrano was encouraged to fight the Battle of Tucumán, on 24 September 1812, which resulted in the most important victory in the battles for the Argentine War of Independence. Díaz Vélez as a senior officer took the captured artillery from royalist general Pío de Tristán, along with thirty nine wagons loaded with arms and ammunition, plus the prisoners. He established a stronghold in the city of Tucumán, where — confronted with an ultimatum of surrender from Tristán who threatened to burn the city — he answered that in that case he would "cut the prisoner's necks". Tristán did not then follow up with his threat and retreated.

A few days later he was sent by Belgrano to capture Salta, befoire the arrival of Tristán's army. Hwe freed colonel Juan Antonio Álvarez de Arenales from imprisonment, and both took military control of the city, but they had to evacuate in October in front of royalist strength.

Early the following year (1813) he was wounded at the Battle of Salta, while commanding a wing of cavalry. Belgrano then named him governor of Salta Province.

Díaz Vélez went with the Army of the North in its second campaign to Upper Peru, and he occupied the city of Potosí. He commanded the cavalry at the defeats in Vilcapugio and Ayohuma. By order of Belgrano, and to protect their backs, he left the town with all its silver and he attempted to destroy Potosí's mint; but a warning of an officer to the populace averted the destruction. These acts earned the enmity of Upper Perú's residents towards Buenos Aires.

Civil wars

Upon return to Buenos Aires he wed Carmen Guerrero y Obarrio with whom he had there children: Carmen, Eustoquio and Manuela.He was promoted to general and sent as new military governor of Santa Fe Province, with the objective to avoid the province's turn to the federalism of José Gervasio Artigas. He took the post in April of 1814. He then sent all the supplies he could, to the Army of the North. His government was not loved by the local population, mainly for not being from Santa Fé province, and also for his strong-arm tactics and not respeting the local Cabildo.

In March 1815, a great number of people protested in front of the government house requesting he relinquished government control to the Cabildo. At thne same time a flotilla of armed canoes was crossing the Paraná River under the command of Eusebio Hereñú from Entre Ríos Province, who demanded he complied with the people's wishes. Díaz Vélez stepped down and Francisco Candioti was elected in his place.

Díaz Vélez returned to Buenos Aires and stayed out of politics for a few months. The following year he took part in an expedition to Santa Fe, under orders from Viamonte, as military commander of Rosario. The failure of Viamonte forced him to return in February of 1816.

In April of the same year he was sent again in a third attack against Santa Fe where he started a siege of the city from the river. He was defeated and sign the Pact of Santo Tomé with governor Mariano Vera then retreated towards Rosario. Therfe he deposed his superior, Belgrano, and assumed command of the army. This strange rebellion on the part of Díaz Vélez led to the fall of director Ignacio Álvarez Thomas. A few days later he reneged on the pact he had signed and re-attacked Santa Fe. He was defeated for the third time and his actions made Estanislao López rise up as ] caudillo] in that province.

Díaz Vélez went back to Buenos Aires, where he joined the Logia directed by Supreme Director Pueyrredón and his minister Gregorio García de Tagle. In 1817 he was designated Deputy Commander Chief of Staff of the Army and on December 13 1818 was named interim governor of Buenos Aires, replacing Juan Ramón Balcarce, who was ill. He stayed as a senior commander of the army until 1821.

In March 1819 he requested the separation of the post of Governor keeping only the functions of Police Superintendent until the Battle of Cepeda, after which he was exiled to Montevideo.

Last years

Upon his return to Buenos Aires, in October 1821, he returned to active service, and was put in charge of implementing the Reform Law, then he went to retirement on 26 February 1822 with full salary. He took advantage of new foreclosure laws of minister Rivadavia and purchased a great deal of land. He founded several ranches, and became the biggest landowner in Buenos Aires Province. The most well-known were: "El Carmen" (present day Rauch Partido and Ayacucho Partido), "Campos de Díaz Vélez" and "Médanos Blancos" (present day Necochea Partido).

He did not take part in the subsequent civil wars of the years that followed, until the year 1839, when he supported the "Libres del Sur" revolution against dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas from his ranch in Tandil. He was arrested and subjected to a long judicial process, then finally freed and sen to exile again in Montevideo. His lands were taken over by the government.

He returned to Buenos Aires after the Battle of Caseros and declined to participate in politics; he regained all his lands and a good part of his holdings before dying in Buenos Aires, on 1 April 1856.

Díaz Vélez was interred in Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, in the family's pantheon, now declared a National Historical Monument (Decree 3,039-1946 of the Office of the President).