Vicente Emparán removed; Supreme Junta of Venezuela installed
- When
- 1810
- Where
- Caracas
- Episodes
- 2
On 19 April 1810, members of the Caracas cabildo and prominent residents leveraged crowds gathered for Maundy Thursday services to incite agitation for a junta. The cabildo transformed into the Supreme Junta of Caracas, assuming provincial management. This occurred after agents of the Spanish Regency arrived in Caracas on 18 April 1810, setting the stage for the removal of Captain General Vicente Emparán.
Episodes
- Popular Agitation in Caracas
Members of the cabildo and residents used Maundy Thursday crowds to orchestrate agitation for a junta, leading to Emparán's removal.
- Formation of the Supreme Junta
The cabildo transformed into the Supreme Junta of Caracas, beginning to manage provincial affairs after the agitation.
Background and detail
Background. Vicente Emparán, a well-liked governor, had been appointed Captain General of Venezuela in 1809 to replace Manuel de Guevara y Vasconcelos. In 1808 and 1810, various attempts occurred to establish a junta in Venezuela, ranging from legal requests to secret plots. On 18 April 1810, agents of the Spanish Regency arrived in Caracas, creating conditions for political change.
Removal of Emparán. On 19 April 1810, members of the municipal council (cabildo) of Caracas and other important residents took advantage of large crowds gathered for Maundy Thursday services. They orchestrated popular agitation for the establishment of a junta. This action resulted in the removal of Captain General Vicente Emparán, who subsequently left for Philadelphia to report to the Spanish government.
Installation of the Supreme Junta. Following the agitation, the cabildo transformed itself into the Supreme Junta of Caracas. This new body began to manage the affairs of the province. The establishment of the Junta Suprema de Caracas on 19 April 1810 marked the beginning of the period of the First Republic, initiating the Venezuelan War of Independence.
People involved
- Vicente Emparán · Captain General of Venezuela
- Cabildo of Caracas · Municipal council that transformed into the Supreme Junta
- Spanish Regency Agents · Arrived in Caracas on 18 April 1810
Sources
- Vicente Emparán Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-01
- First Republic of Venezuela Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-09
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.