Caudillo

The Caudillo, (Spanish meaning "military strongman"; caudilho in Portuguese Brazil) is a cultural phenomenon that first appeared during the early 19th century in revolutionary South America, as a type of militant leader usually with a charismatic personality and enough of a populist program of generic future reforms to gain broad sympathy. Typically, the Caudillos took it upon themselves to attain a power over a society and place themselves as leader of that society. In the upheavals of the decades of revolution, leaders who were able to draw to themselves bands of loyal followers and keep them well armed and otherwise well cared for could assume the title of "general." Caudillos began to attain this power shortly after the Wars of Independence. They used their small armed bands, the equivalent of the contemporary militia, to overthrow the vulnerable newly independent states in South America. If these Caudillos were not always welcome, also they were not generally publically condemned. Some were large landowners (hacendados) who sought to secure their private interests, but more typically they began as vigilantes keeping the local peace for the hacienda, then gained independence of action and developed an anti-oligarchic public stance and finished by supporting an acquiescent establishment that included the Church. Since the caudillo typically held power by controlling a patronage network that brooked no rival structure, some caudillos took up an anti-clerical stand. Many of the Caudillos used their newly gained power, which was unchecked because it was extra-constitutional, to promote their own wealth and interests.

They were capable of commanding large sums of people and holding the attention of large crowds with growing excitement. A similar phenomenon in Italy from the 13th to the 16th century was the condottiere.

A few examples of powerful Caudillos in South America during the early 1800s include Juan Manuel de Rosas and Juan Facundo Quiroga in Argentina, Antonio López de Santa Anna and Porfirio Díaz in Mexico, and José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, "El Supremo" in Paraguay. In Venezuela, there were two important caudillos Jose Tadeo Monagas and outside invasion (much being United States); Monagas abolished slavery; Porfirio Diaz always had the simple folk at heart; Dr. Francia was a Creole with an advanced law degree who used only three men in his leading of the country.

Well-known later caudillos have included Gabriel García Moreno in Ecuador and Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina in the Dominican Republic.

The Spanish dictator Francisco Franco was proud to be known as "El Caudillo de España" and encouraged the use of the term. English speakers are reticent about the term 'caudillo," which they imagine must have pejorative connotations: in Spanish there are none.

The modern caudillo is referred to as "president." Hugo Chávez is never referred to as "el caudillo."