Insurgent Friars in the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata: the case of the Convent of Saint Dominic of San Juan city. Between the consolidation of the Independence and the liberation of Chile (1814 – 1817): Political support, cooperation and confl i

Between the consolidation of the Independence and the liberation of Chile (1814 – 1817): Political support, cooperation and conflict

Abstract

Th e following article refers to the involvement of men of the church in the Rio de la Plata Independence process, more specifi cally, the role of the Dominican Monks in the city of San Juan, within the territory of the Governorate Intendancy of Cuyo. Th e period under scrutiny spreads from 1814 to 1817 and the analysis focuses on the eff ects of the fall of the Chilean Independence and the mustering of the Andes Army by General San Martin, in the aforementioned territory. Th e unmistakable position of the Dominican Friars is clearly seen in the offi cial documents of the Convent of Saint Dominic of San Juan city. However, the confl icts surrounding the Convent give rise to a number of questions about the intervention of political authorities in religious matters.