Juan Henríquez de Villalobos

Juan Henríquez de Villalobos (* around 1630 in Lima, Peru today, † 1689 in Madrid) was a Spanish officer, colonial administrator and governor of Chile.

Origin and military career

Henríquez came around 1630 in Lima, the son of a Spanish Oidor at the Real Audiencia of Lima to the world. His father was in the Order of Santiago and served as president of the province of Granada. Juan Henríquez went as a child back to Europe. He studied law at the University of Salamanca and entered the service of the crown at the age of 20 years.

He served in Marine infantry and in Spain and Italy. In the Restoration war against Portugal, he was captured on June 8, 1663 at the capture of Évora by the Portuguese and came only after four years and nine months in prison on March 8, 1668 after the conclusion of peace again. The regent María Ana appointed him thank half a Knight of the Order of Santiago and a few months later Governor of Chile, after they had deposed the incumbent Francisco de Meneses Brito.

Term as governor of Chile

Henríquez embarked in June 1669 in Cádiz and reached Lima on 26 March 1670 Concepción in October or November 1670, he was the city council (Spanish: Cabildo ). Solemnly received and recorded his official duties.

During this time, it always came back to robberies by Indians, who were after mainly due to the horses of the colonial masters. His term was marked again and again by uprisings by the Mapuche and pirate raids against the Chilean coastal settlements.

On December 16, 1680 he received the news that English pirates had the city of La Serena burned down. He made himself with all available forces on the way there, but found no more enemies, when he reached the city.

Accuse

Henríquez were serious allegations made ​​by the Audiencia after the end of his term and he had to justify in a comprehensive legal proceedings. Even the judgments of historians are mixed: the historian José Toribio Medina writes about him, he was enriched from the colony gone and although by no less than 700,000 pesos the other hand, evaluates Diego Barros Arana 's term of office Henríquez as "exemplary". He went after the completion of his trial back to Madrid, was a member of the Council of the Indies, and died there 1689th He is buried in the chapel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the Imperial College of the Jesuits.