Juan José Castelli Juan José Castelli ( July 19 , 1764 – October 12 , 1812 ) was an Argentine lawyer . He was one of the leaders of the May Revolution , which started the Argentine War of Independence . He led an ill - fated military campaign in Upper Peru . Juan José Castelli was born in Buenos Aires , and went to school at the Real Colegio de San Carlos in Buenos Aires and Monserrat College in the city of Córdoba , Argentina . He graduated as a lawyer from the University of Charcas , in Upper Peru . His cousin , Manuel Belgrano , introduced him to the public administration of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata . Along with Belgrano , Nicolás Rodríguez Peña , and Hipólito Vieytes , Castelli planned a revolution to replace the absolute monarchy with the new ideas of the Age of Enlightenment . He led the Buenos Aires patriots during the May Revolution , which ended with the removal of viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros from power . He is known as the " Speaker of the Revolution " for his speech during the open cabildo held in Buenos Aires on May 22 , 1810 . Castelli was appointed a Committee member of the Primera Junta and was sent to Córdoba to end Santiago de Liniers ' s counter - revolution . He succeeded , and ordered the execution of Liniers and his supporters . He then commanded the establishment of a revolutionary government in Upper Peru ( today ' s Bolivia ) with the aim of freeing the indigenous peoples and African slaves . In 1811 Castelli signed a truce with the Spanish in Upper Peru , but they betrayed him and caught the Northern Army unprepared . As a result , the Argentines suffered a major loss in the Battle of Huaqui on June 20 , 1811 . When Castelli returned to Buenos Aires , the First Triumvirate imprisoned him for losing the battle , and Castelli died shortly afterwards from tongue cancer . Biography . Early life and studies . Castelli was born in Buenos Aires in 1764 . He was the first of eight children born to a Venetian doctor , Ángel Castelli Salomón , and Josefa Villarino , who was a relative of Manuel Belgrano . He was trained by the Jesuits shortly before their expulsion , and attended the Real Colegio de San Carlos in Buenos Aires . As was customary , one of the children of the Castelli family was ordained into the priesthood , and Juan José was chosen for this . He was sent to study at the Colegio Monserrat , part of the University of Córdoba . He was influenced by the works of Voltaire and Diderot , and especially by Jean - Jacques Rousseau ' s " The Social Contract " . He was a fellow student of men who would later have influence in the public life of South America , including Saturnino Rodríguez Peña , Juan José Paso , Manuel Alberti , Pedro Medrano , and Juan Martínez de Rozas , among others . He focused on studying philosophy and theology , but when his father died in 1785 , he abandoned his career in the priesthood , for which he felt no strong vocation . Rejecting his mother ' s proposal of sending him to study in Spain , he enrolled in jurisprudence studies alongside his cousin , Manuel Belgrano , at the University of Salamanca and Alcalá de Henares . He enrolled in the University of Chuquisaca , in the Upper Peru ( modern Bolivia ) . There , he learned about the ongoing French Revolution , and the new ideas of the Age of Enlightenment . He also learned about the 1782 Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II and the oppression of the indigenous peoples , which influenced his actions in his future Upper Peru campaign . Before returning to Buenos Aires , he visited Potosí and witnessed the use of slave labor in the mines . Castelli returned to Buenos Aires and established a legal firm in his family home . He represented the University of Córdoba in various causes , as well as his uncle , Domingo Belgrano Peri . Through his associations with Saturnino Rodríguez Peña , he also met and befriended his brother , Nicolás Rodríguez Peña , and his associate , Hipólito Vieytes . Castelli married María Rosa Lynch in 1794 , and they had seven children : Angela , Pedro , Luciano , Alejandro , Francisco José , and Juana . First political steps . The intellectuals of the viceroyalty received and secretly distributed a copy of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen , promulgated by the French Revolution in 1789 . Meanwhile , Belgrano returned from his studies in Europe , and was appointed as Perpetual Secretary of the new Consulate of Commerce of Buenos Aires . Belgrano and Castelli shared similar ideas about the Spanish trade monopoly and the rights of the natives . Belgrano attempted to appoint Castelli as interim Secretary of the Consulate as his assistant , but faced strong opposition from the peninsular merchants , who delayed the appointment until 1796 . Belgrano became ill during his stay in Europe , which forced him to take extended leaves from work , and wanted Castelli to be his successor if he resigned . There was a similar opposition during the 1799 election of delegates to the Buenos Aires Cabildo : Castelli was elected as third " Regidor " , but was rejected by merchants associated with the port of Cádiz . The conflict lasted a year , until the prominent local merchant Cornelio Saavedra wrote a memorandum recommending Castelli . Viceroy Avilés finally confirmed him in office by royal decree , in May 1800 . Castelli , however , rejected the post because of his high workload in the Consulate . This was seen as an insult by peninsular merchants such as Martín de Álzaga , who was influential in the Cabildo . Castelli and Belgrano backed a pair of projects from Francisco Cabello y Mesa , who had just arrived from Spain . Cabello proposed the creation of a " Patriotic , Literary and Economic Society " lodge and the publication of a newspaper . This newspaper , the first one published in Buenos Aires , was named " Telégrafo Mercantil " . However , both projects were short - lived : the lodge was never established and its activities were banned by royal decree , and the Consulate was instructed to withdraw support for the newspaper , which was then closed . Published by Castelli , Cabello , and Belgrano ( secretary of the publication ) , as well as José Manuel Lavardén , Miguel de Azcuénaga and Fray Cayetano Rodríguez , the " Telegraph " was the first journal to advance the concept of fatherland , and the first to speak of the inhabitants as " Argentines . " Nevertheless , Hipólito Vieytes released a new newspaper shortly afterwards , the " Agriculture , Trade and Industry Weekly " , with Castelli in the staff . The editorial staff had meetings at the house of Saturnino Rodríguez Peña , discussing ideas for technical improvements in agriculture , removal of trade restrictions , development , manufacturing , and other topics . The newspaper also published the biographies of some Founding Fathers of the United States , such as Benjamin Franklin . The British invasions . Rodriguez Peña introduced Castelli to James Florence Burke , who claimed to represent the British Empire in support of proposals published by Francisco de Miranda , which aimed to emancipate the Latin American colonies . Burke was actually a British spy , gathering information about the Spanish colonies . Bearing promises of British support , he created the first native secret society organized for such purposes . It would henceforth be known as " party of independence " , and included Castelli , Burke and major contributors of Vieytes ' s newspaper . The spy was eventually discovered by Viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte and expelled from the viceroyalty , but his duplicity was not disclosed to his unaware associates . Castelli moved to a farm in modern the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Núñez . The farm had some agriculture fields and a small brick factory . He lived next to other influential people like Cornelio Saavedra , Juan Larrea , Miguel de Azcuénaga , and attorney José Darragueira . The meetings of the secret society continued , unaffected by the departure of Burke . On June 2 , 1806 , Castelli ' s mother died , and he was still in mourning when the city learned of a British landing in Quilmes . The " party of independence " was caught by surprise by the invasion , as the British proclaimed respect for religion , ownership , order , freedom , and trade — but made no mention concerning Miranda ' s ideals . They arranged an interview with the British Viscount William Carr Beresford , asking for a clarification on whether the promises of Burke were still standing . They also asked if the British government would support an independentist attempt . Beresford gave evasive answers , saying he had no instructions to that effect . He explained that with the recent death of Prime Minister William Pitt and the rise of the Liberals to power , he needed further orders . Castelli understood that the British force only aspired to annex the city to the British Empire , and resigned to avoid swearing allegiance to Britain . Santiago de Liniers liberated Buenos Aires a short time later , but Saturnino Rodríguez Peña helped Beresford escape , hoping to influence an eventual second invasion to implement reforms supported by Burke and Miranda . The second British invasion , however , ended the patriot ' s hopes of British support , and they fought against their former allies . After the successful defense of the city in 1807 , the local criollos increased their political power with their higher military role . There was a dispute between the newly appointed Viceroy , Santiago de Liniers , and the Buenos Aires Cabildo , led by Martín de Álzaga . Both attempted to take advantage of the new situation , and influence the criollos to support them . Álzaga refrained from accusing Rodríguez Peña for aiding in Beresford ' s escape , and Liniers kept the criollo military bodies armed . Carlotism . Napoleon invaded Spain in 1807 , starting the Peninsular War . King Charles IV of Spain abdicated in favor of his son Ferdinand VII , but Napoleon captured him and appointed his own brother , Joseph Bonaparte , as king of Spain instead , in a series of transfers of the Spanish crown known as the abdications of Bayonne . The Spanish people organized Government Juntas to resist against the French occupation , and within months the Junta Central of Seville claimed supreme authority over Spain and the colonies . This situation encouraged the Princess Charlotte of Spain to claim the regency of the Spanish American colonies . In this context , Castelli and Álzaga plotted to oust Liniers and constitute a local government Junta , similar to those of the metropoli . This project was not shared by most of the natives or by the head of the Regiment of Patricians , Cornelio Saavedra . Manuel Belgrano proposed as an alternative to support the plans of Princess Charlotte , which were supported by Castelli and other criollos . Belgrano , who held monarchist ideas , argued that the Carlotist project would be the most practical means of achieving independence from Spain in the circumstances . On September 20 , 1808 , Castelli wrote a letter to Charlotte , with the signatures of Antonio Beruti , Hipólito Vieytes , Belgrano , and Nicolás Rodríguez Peña . Charlotte rejected this support : the party of independence sought to establish a constitutional monarchy headed by Charlotte , but she preferred to retain the power of an absolutist monarchy . Consequently she denounced the letter and organized the detention of Diego Paroissien . Paroissien , who had several letters to the criollos , was charged with high treason . Castelli was his lawyer . Castelli won Paroissien ' s acquittal by invoking the doctrine of the retroversion of the sovereignty of the people , which claimed that the Spanish American lands were a personal possession of the King of Spain but not a Spanish colony . That approach was already old , and it was used to legislate in both districts , but in this context Castelli argued that neither the Council of Regency or any other power of Spain — other than the rightful King — had authority over Spanish America . Castelli said that " the will of the people of Spain is not enough to bring the Indies to obedience " . Under these premises , Castelli argued successfully that the regency offered to the sister of the captive king , while not denying the legitimacy of Ferdinand VII , was not an act of treason , but a legitimate political project that should be resolved by the Spanish American people without the intervention of the peninsular Spanish . On January 1 , 1809 , Martín de Álzaga rallied most peninsular battalions to Plaza de Mayo and attempted a mutiny against Liniers . A few criollos , such as Mariano Moreno , laid their hopes for independence in this attempt , but most did not . The battalions still faithful to Liniers – the Regiment of Patricians , the other criollo battalions , and the remaining peninsular ones – conquered the Plaza and ordered the mutinying forces to withdraw . Castelli supported Liniers , accusing Álzaga of independentism . Though Castelli was himself an independentist , and had also sought to remove Liniers , he opposed Álzaga for other reasons : Álzaga was hoping to maintaining the social dominance of the peninsulares over the criollos once the viceroy , who opposed his interests , was deposed . Álzaga was defeated , and the power of the criollos was increased : Sentenach and Álzaga were banished to Carmen de Patagones and the Spanish militias who attempted the coup were disbanded . A new viceroy , Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros , arrived in July to replace Liniers , and the independentist group did not agree on how to react . Castelli proposed a resumption of Álzaga ' s idea of creating a governing Junta , but not headed by the Spanish . Belgrano insisted on the plan to appoint Charlotte as regent of a constitutional monarchy , and Rodriguez Peña proposed a military coup , with or without Liniers at the head . They finally accepted the perspective of Cornelio Saavedra , and delayed taking action until a better opportunity . May Revolution . When the news of the fall of the Junta of Seville arrived , the group headed by Castelli and Belgrano led the process leading to the May Revolution . Castelli and Saavedra were the most important leaders of the time , and first discarded Martín Rodríguez ' s plan to expel Cisneros in a coup d ' état . After several discussions , they decided to request an open cabildo , an emergency popular assembly . Castelli and Belgrano negotiated with the senior alcalde and nobleman , Juan de Lezica , and the procurator , Julián de Leiva . Although they convinced them , they still needed the permission of Cisneros himself , for which Castelli and Rodriguez went to his office at the Fort of Buenos Aires . Previously , Cornelio Saavedra had denied Cisneros the support of the Regiment of Patricians , on the premise that with the disappearance of the Junta of Seville — who had appointed him as viceroy — he no longer had the right to hold that position . Cisneros was outraged by the appearance of Castelli and Rodríguez , who came armed and without an appointment . They reacted harshly and demanded an immediate reply to the request for an open cabildo . After a brief private conversation with the prosecutor , Caspe , Cisneros gave his consent . When they were leaving , Cisneros inquired about his personal safety , to which Castelli said : " Lord , Your Excellency ' s person and your family are among Americans , and this should reassure you " . After the interview they returned to the house of Rodríguez Peña , to inform their supporters of the new situation . Besides his oratory , Castelli is known as the " Speaker of the Revolution " because of his great activity during the " May week " . The memoirs of witnesses and participants mention him at many venues , taking part in many activities . He negotiated with the Cabildo and visited the Fort several times until the viceroy gave in to the pressure . At the same time , he held secret meetings with other criollos at the house of Rodríguez Peña , planning their actions , and he harangued the criollo militias at the barracks . Cisneros himself , describing the events the Council of Regency , called Castelli " the most interested one in the novelty " , i . e . , in the revolution . The open cabildo was held on May 22 , 1810 ; it was debated whether the viceroy should continue in office , and if not , who should replace him . The first opinion was from Bishop Benito Lue y Riega , who held that Cisneros should continue and that , if all of Spain was conquered by France , peninsulars were meant to rule in the Americas . Castelli made a counter - argument , based on the doctrine of the retroversion of the sovereignty of the people that he had already employed in the defense of Paroissien . He insisted that in the absence of a legitimate authority , sovereignty should be returned to the people ; they should govern themselves . The idea of dismissing the viceroy ultimately prevailed , but as Buenos Aires had no authority to decide unilaterally the new form of government , they would elect a provisional government . A congress of deputies called from all other cities would take the final decision . However , there were disputes over who should exercise the provisional government : some argued that the Cabildo should do so , and others that it should be a Junta . Castelli bowed to Saavedra ' s proposal to form a Junta , but with the proviso that the procurator of the Cabildo , Julián de Leiva , had a decisive vote in the appointment . By adding this proviso , Castelli sought to add the former supporters of Martín de Álzaga , such as Mariano Moreno , Domingo Matheu , and Leiva himself . However , this power allowed Leiva to perform a maneuver that Castelli had not anticipated . Although he approved the end of Cisneros ' rule as viceroy , Leiva formed a Junta with Cisneros as its president ; Cisneros would stay in power . The other members of the Junta would have been two peninsulars , the priest Juan Nepomuceno Solá and the merchant José Santos Inchaurregui , and two criollos , Saavedra and Castelli . The bulk of the natives rejected the proposal : they did not accept that Cisneros should remain in power , even under a different title . They were suspicious of the intentions of Saavedra , and believed that with Castelli alone in the Junta , little or nothing could be achieved . Castelli and Saavedra resigned that same day to put pressure on Cisneros and force him to resign , and the Junta never came into power . That same night , the criollos gathered at the home of Rodriguez Pena and compiled a list of members for a governing Junta that was presented on 25 May . Meanwhile , Domingo French , Antonio Beruti , Aparicio , Donado , and other armed men occupied the Plaza and its access points . The list included a balance of representatives from different extractions of local politics . Lezica finally reported to Cisneros that he was no longer in command , and the Primera Junta assumed power . Castelli and Mariano Moreno led the more radical positions of the Junta . They became close friends , visiting each other daily . Julio César Chávez described them as associates , sharing projects of a deep political , social and economic revolution , based in higher freedom for the Spanish American criollos . He described them as pragmatic men , willing to reward the allies and punish the enemies of the revolution , even if it meant using capital punishments . They were called " Jacobins " , comparing their actions with those of the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution , but they were not Francophile s or afrancesado s . Besides this , the similarities between the revolutions at France and Buenos Aires were largely superficial . One of the first steps of Castelli and the Junta was the expulsion of Cisneros and the judges of the Royal Audiencia , who were shipped off to Spain under the pretext that their lives were in danger . Execution of Liniers . Upon hearing the news of the change of government , former viceroy Santiago de Liniers prepared a counter - revolution from the city of Córdoba , but Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo routed his militia and captured all the leaders in just a couple of skirmishes . The initial orders were to send them to Buenos Aires , but after their capture the Junta decided to execute them . This decision was taken in a resolution signed by all members of the Junta , excepting Manuel Alberti , because as a priest , he could not give consent to the death penalty . The measure found strong popular resistance in Córdoba , as Liniers and the governor Juan Gutierrez de la Concha were popular and the execution of a priest ( Rodrigo de Orellana , another leader of the counter - revolution ) was rejected as heretical . Ocampo and Chiclana decided to carry on with the original orders , and transferred the prisoners to Buenos Aires . The Junta reconfirmed the order , but excluded the bishop of Córdoba , Rodrigo de Orellana , who was banished instead . Castelli was commissioned by the Junta to enforce the execution order . Mariano Moreno said , " Go , Castelli , and I hope you will not incur the same weakness as our general , if not yet fulfilled the determination , Larrea will go , and finally I ' ll go myself if necessary " . Ocampo and Chiclana were demoted . Castelli ' s assistants were Nicolás Rodríguez Peña , elected as secretary , his former client Diego Paroissien as a campaign doctor , and Domingo French as head of the escort . Right after finding the prisoners , he ordered and presided over their execution : the governor of Córdoba , Juan Gutiérrez de la Concha , the former Viceroy , Santiago de Liniers , former Governor Santiago Alejo de Allende , the adviser Victorino Rodriguez , and the accountant Moreno . The execution took place at Cabeza de Tigre , in the boundary between Santa Fe and Córdoba . The bishop Orellana was not shot , but was compelled to give spiritual assistance to those convicted and to witness the execution . Domingo French was commissioned to execute the verdict . After shooting Liniers , Castelli returned briefly to Buenos Aires and met Moreno . The secretary of war congratulated him for his conduct , and appointed him as a member representing the Junta , with full power to direct the operations to La Paz . He also left a series of instructions : Castelli was to put the government in the hands of patriots , earn the native ' s support , and shoot president Nieto , governor Sanz , and the Bishop of La Paz , in the case of their capture . He received similar orders to capture and execute José Manuel de Goyeneche , who had already defeated the rebels of La Paz revolution ( a rebellion similar to the May Revolution , which took place at La Paz , modern Bolivia ) . Castelli was also instructed to rescue and draft to the Auxiliary Army the Arribeños and Patricians soldiers that , under the command of Vicente Nieto , had left Buenos Aires in 1809 to suppress revolutions in Chuquisaca and La Paz . Suspicious of those soldiers , Nieto had them disarmed and sent as prisoners to the mines of Potosi , under the supervision of Francisco de Paula Sanz . More than a third of the soldiers died within a month of work in the mines . Campaign in Upper Peru . Castelli was not well received in Córdoba , where Liniers was popular , but he was in San Miguel de Tucumán . In Salta , despite a formal good reception , he had difficulty obtaining troops , mules , food , money , or guns . He took political leadership of the expedition to Upper Peru , displacing Hipólito Vieytes , and replaced Ocampo with Colonel Antonio González Balcarce . He was informed that Cochabamba revolted in support of the Junta , but was threatened by royalist forces from La Paz . Castelli intercepted a letter from Nieto to Gutiérrez de la Concha , governor of Córdoba , who was already executed for his support of Liniers . This letter mentioned a royalist army led by Goyeneche marching to Jujuy . Balcarce , who had advanced to Potosi , was defeated by Nieto in the Battle of Cotagaita , so Castelli sent two hundred men and two cannon to strengthen his forces . With these reinforcements , Balcarce achieved victory at the Battle of Suipacha , which allowed patriots to control all of Upper Peru unopposed . One of the men sent was Martín Miguel de Güemes , who would eventually lead the " Guerra Gaucha " in Salta years later . At Villa Imperial , one of the richest cities of Upper Peru , an open cabildo called on Goyeneche to withdraw from their territory . He obeyed , as he did not have the military strength to prevail . The Bishop of La Paz , Remigio La Santa y Ortega , fled with him . Castelli was received in Potosí and requesting that the locals swear allegiance to the Junta . He also requested that the royalist generals Francisco de Paula Sanz and José de Córdoba y Rojas submit to him . He made arrangements that the operation to capture Vicente Nieto should be carried out exclusively by the surviving members of the Regiment of Patricians from the mines of Potosi , who had been incorporated with honors into the Army of the North . Sanz , Nieto , and Córdoba were executed at the Plaza of Potosí . Nieto claimed that he died happy , because it was under the Spanish flag . Goyeneche and Ortega , on the other hand , were safe on royalist land . Bernardo Monteagudo , inmate at the Jail of the Court of Chuquisaca for his participation in the revolution of 1809 , escaped to join the ranks of the army . Castelli , who already knew Monteagudo ' s background , appointed him his secretary . Castelli set up his government in Chuquisaca , where he presided over the change of regime for the entire region . He planned the reorganization of the Mines of Potosi , and a reform at the University of Charcas . He proclaimed the end of native slavery and servitude in Upper Peru , and the natives were granted political rights equal to those of the criollos . Castelli forbade the establishment of new convents and parishes to avoid the common practice that , under the guise of spreading Christian doctrine , the natives were forced into servitude by religious orders . He authorized free trade and redistributed land expropriated from the former workers of the mills . The decree was published in Spanish , Guarani , Quechua , and Aymara ; he established several bilingual schools as well . Several Indian chiefs participated in the first anniversary of the May Revolution , celebrated in Tiahuanaco , where Castelli paid tribute to the ancient Inca s and encouraged the people to rise against the Spanish . Despite their welcome , however , Castelli was aware that most of the aristocracy supported the auxiliary army out of fear instead of genuine support . In November 1810 he requested authorization from the Junta for a military operation : to cross the Desaguadero river , the border between the two viceroyalties , and take control of the Peruvian cities of Puno , Cuzco , and Arequipa . Castelli argued that it was urgent to rise against Lima because its economy depended largely on those districts , and if they lost power over that area , the main royalist stronghold would be threatened . The plan was rejected as too risky , and Castelli complied with the original orders . In December , fifty - three peninsulars were banished to Salta , and the decision was sent to the Junta for approval . The vocal Domingo Matheu , who had business associations with Tulla and Pedro Salvador Casas , arranged the annulment of the act , arguing that Castelli had been influenced by slander and unfounded accusations . Support for Castelli began to decline , mainly due to the favourable treatment of natives and the determined opposition of the church , which attacked the public atheism of Bernardo Monteagudo , Castelli ' s secretary . Both royalists in Lima and Saavedra in Buenos Aires compared them with Maximilien Robespierre , leader of the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution . Castelli also abolished the mita in Upper Peru , a mandatory form of public service that bordered on slavery . Mariano Moreno has also wished to end the mita , but Moreno had resigned from the Junta by this point . Without Castelli being in Buenos Aires to mediate between them , the disputes between Moreno and Saavedra had worsened . The Junta requested that Castelli should moderate his actions , but he went ahead with the positions he shared with Moreno . Several Saavedrist officers , such as José María Echaurri , José León Domínguez , Matías Balbastro , chaplain Manuel Antonio Azcurra , and sergeant major Toribio de Luzuriaga , planned to kidnap Castelli , deliver him to Buenos Aires for trial , and give command of the Army of the North to Juan Jose Viamonte . However , Viamonte did not accept the plan when he was informed by the conspirators , and did not attempt to carry it out . When Castelli knew about Moreno ' s resignation , he wrote a letter to Vieytes , Rodriguez Peña , Larrea , and Azcuénaga , asking them to move to Upper Peru . If they defeated Goyeneche , they planned to march back to Buenos Aires . However , the letter was sent via the common postal service , and the postmaster of Córdoba , Jose de Paz , decided to send it instead to Cornelio Saavedra . The Morenist members of the Junta had already been ousted and exiled by that point . The Battle of Huaqui . The order of the Junta not to proceed to the Viceroyalty of Peru was a de facto truce that would last while Castelli did not attack Goyeneche ' s army . Castelli tried to turn the situation into a formal agreement , which would imply recognition of the Junta as a legitimate interlocutor . Goyeneche agreed to sign an armistice for 40 days to allow time for Lima to ratify the agreement , but he actually used the time to reinforce his army . On 19 June , with the truce still in effect , an advanced royalist troop attacked positions at Juraicoragua . Castelli declared the truce broken and declared war on Peru . The royalist army crossed the Desaguadero on June 20 , 1811 , starting the Battle of Huaqui . The army waited near Huaqui , between the plains of Azapanal and Lake Titicaca . The patriotic left wing , commanded by Diaz Velez , faced the bulk of the royalist forces , while the center was hit by the soldiers of Pio Tristan . Many patriotic soldiers recruited at Upper Peru surrendered or fled , and many of the recruits from La Paz switched sides during the battle . The Saavedrist Juan José Viamonte helped ensure Castelli ' s defeat by refusing to join the conflict . Although the casualties of the Army of the North were not substantial , it was left demoralized and disbanded . Goyeneche pursued the fleeing patriots , and captured Huaqui after his victory . The inhabitants of Upper Peru welcomed the royalists back , so the army had to quickly leave those provinces . However , the resistance of Cochabamba prevented the royalists from proceeding to Buenos Aires . Castelli moved to the post of Quirbe , and received orders to return to Buenos Aires for trial . However , by the time he was notified , new orders had been issued : Castelli should be confined at Catamarca , while Saavedra himself took charge of the Army of the North . Saavedra was deposed as soon as he left Buenos Aires , and was confined to San Juan . The First Triumvirate , which had commenced governing by then , required Castelli to return . Once in Buenos Aires , Castelli found himself in political isolation . The triumvirate and the newspaper " La Gazeta " blamed him for the defeat at Huaqui , and sought punishment as a deterrent . His former supporters were divided between those who supported the ideas of the Triumvirate and those no longer able to help . Castelli suffered from tongue cancer during the long trial , which made it progressively more difficult for him to speak . He died on October 12 , 1812 , while the trial was still underway . Legacy . Castelli is largely ignored in the historiography of Argentina . Most historians focus instead on the disputes between Mariano Moreno and Cornelio Saavedra in the Junta , with Castelli described in passing as a supporter of Moreno . Despite of his role in the May Revolution , he was not the clear leader of it , as José Gervasio Artigas was for the Cry of Asencio or Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla for the Cry of Dolores . The May Revolution was instead the result of the convergence of diverse factions that shared the desire to remove the viceroy , and different historians highlight different specific factions . Castelli is largely ignored in Bolivia as well . His support of indigenous rights — still an ongoing issue in the country — and his religious ideas strongly affect the way he is perceived there . The most notable biography of Castelli was " Castelli , el adalid de Mayo " ( ) , written by the Paraguayan Julio César Chaves . Andrés Rivera increased the public awareness about Castelli with the historical novel " La revolución es un sueño eterno " ( ) . The famous divulgator Felipe Pigna wrote a whole chapter about Castelli at the book " Los mitos de la historia argentina " , which was then moved to television in the documentary film " Algo habrán hecho por la historia argentina " .