Clero y política en La Rioja en los años veinte del siglo XIX: El Teniente de cura Melchor León de la Barra, de revolucionario a “reo de alto crimen”

• Main Author: Gómez, Fernando
• Publication Date: 2022
• Other Authors: Mazzoni, María Laura
• Format: Article
• Language: spa
• Source: Almanack (Guarulhos)
• Download full: https://periodicos.unifesp.br/index.php/alm/article/view/13260
• topic: clergy; political legitimacy; Melchor Leon de la Barra; clero; legitimidad política; Melchor León de la Barra

This article focus on an specific political conflict which took place in LaRioja in 1824. This conflict is analyzed to dig into some questions aboutthe relationship between religion and politics and specifically in the roleplayed by the clergy as an interpreter or mediator in certain disputes. Thiscase was produced after the Davila, one of the “houses” of La Rioja’s elite,was replaced and witnessed its political influence substantially diminished.Juan FacundoQuiroga had succeed in El Puesto battle and had becomethe most important political and military character in the province.Inthis context, Inocencio Moreno, Military Commander of Famatina, andMelchor Leon de la Barra, clergy adjutant faced each other. The latter wasdeclared “traitor” by Moreno, who also accused him to preach conspiracysermons and to have participated in the Junta Tuitiva at Alto Peru in 1809when, according to Moreno, de la Barra have been excommunicated bythe Archbishop of Charcas.In order to study this dispute, we will basedon documents from the Brigadier Juan Facundo Quiroga Archive whichcontains letters and notifications addressed to Quiroga. We will completethis research with documents from the Archive of the Archbishopric ofCordoba and Sucre, and from the National Archive of Bolivia.