The open cabildo (Spanish: cabildo abierto) is a traditional Hispanic American political action for convening citizens to deliberate policy. Originating in Spanish America as an iteration of the cabildo, it also spread to Spain.
The open cabildo (Spanish: cabildo abierto) is a traditional Hispanic American political action for convening citizens to deliberate policy. Originating in Spanish America as an iteration of the cabildo, it also spread to Spain.
The open cabildo was a special mode of assembly of the inhabitants of Spanish American cities during the colonial period, in cases of emergencies or disasters. Usually, the colonial cities were governed by a cabildo or an ayuntamiento , a municipal council in which most of the officers were appointed by the authorities. In cases of emergency, the cabildo could convene the heads of household ( vecinos ) [1] [2] or a section/all of the citizenry in an "open" cabildo. [3] Typically located at the main church, square, or a member's house, [4] it could be convened in the absence of legal precedent for mobilizing soldiers, announcing taxes, receiving information and communications, and promulgating emergency laws, among other issues. In La ciudad Indiana (1900) by Juan Agustín García , he characterized the open cabildo as a function of communicating orders by the royal government, rarely formulating policy. William Wheatley Pierson Jr. agreed, claiming authoritative weakness as a general fact whilst strength dependent on circumstantial development. [5] Historians Modesto Chávez Franco and Francisco X. Tapia assert meetings were not frequent, with outliers being Zacatecas in the 16th century and Santiago del Estero in the 18th century. [6]
Their composition varied. Ubiquitous constituents were statesmen and clergy, whilst vecinos' consistent inclusion is indeterminate; generally, their participation increased during the later centuries of the colonial period, however "vecino"'s delineation correspondingly decreased. It is also ambiguous as to what extent Spaniards, criollos, mestizos, and the indigenous participated. [7]
Early open cabildos demonstrated some elective power. Following Francisco Pizarro's death, Pedro de Valdivia's appointment to Governor of Chile by a series of open cabildos in May 1541. As permitted by Carlos V, Asunción's open cabildo of vecinos elected the governor from 1548 to 1736, when it was revoked due to their participation in the Revolt of the Comuneros. During the 16th century, those in Spain could elect their alcaldes ; one in Havana exercised similar power until at least 1553, voting on two candidates; in 1603, the body reformed under the pretense of combatting piracy, which was a common recourse. [8]
At the beginning of the Spanish American wars of independence open cabildos played a decisive role were the path by revolutionary movements, acting as organs of popular participation, were able to remove the colonial authorities and establish new revolutionary governments. Such occurred in San Miguel de Tucumán on 21 May 1810, Bogotá 10 July 1810, and Granada, Nicaragua 22 December 1811. [9]
In modern times, some Latin American countries have used the name "open cabildos" for public assemblies convened by municipal governments to decide local matters of public importance. The term is sometimes used for present-day public meetings to make decisions. [10] [11] Some modern versions, while using the historically evocative name, can be more similar to an outdoor rally. [12]
In Venezuela, the open cabildo is one part of a set of provisions required to preserve democracy. Article 70 of the nation's Constitution says that "there [must be] methods for the people to exercise their sovereignty in politics [including] the open forum and assembly of citizens whose decisions will be binding". Because the legally binding vote is tied to the open cabildo, the Constitution may be interpreted to say that the forum can still have the power of a political referendum. [12]
The Spanish colonization of the Americas began in 1493 on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola after the initial 1492 voyage of Genoese mariner Christopher Columbus under license from Queen Isabella I of Castile. These overseas territories of the Spanish Empire were under the jurisdiction of Crown of Castile until the last territory was lost in 1898. Spaniards saw the dense populations of indigenous peoples as an important economic resource and the territory claimed as potentially producing great wealth for individual Spaniards and the crown. Religion played an important role in the Spanish conquest and incorporation of indigenous peoples, bringing them into the Catholic Church peacefully or by force. The crown created civil and religious structures to administer the vast territory. Spanish colonists settled in greatest numbers where there were dense indigenous populations and the existence of valuable resources for extraction.
Alcalde is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town. Alcaldes were elected annually, without the right to reelection for two or three years, by the regidores of the municipal council. The office of the alcalde was signified by a staff of office, which they were to take with them when doing their business. A woman who holds the office is termed an Alcaldesa.
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The Primera Junta or Junta Provisional Gubernativa de las Provincias del Río de la Plata, is the most common name given to the first government of what would eventually become Argentina. It was formed on 25 May 1810, as a result of the events of the May Revolution. The Junta initially only had representatives from Buenos Aires. When it was expanded, as expected, with the addition of representatives from the other cities of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, it became popularly known instead as the Junta Grande or Junta Provisional Gubernativa de Buenos Aires. The Junta operated at El Fuerte, which had been used since 1776 as a residence by the viceroys.
Cabildo can refer to:
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A cabildo or ayuntamiento was a Spanish colonial and early postcolonial administrative council that governed a municipality. Cabildos were sometimes appointed, sometimes elected, but were considered to be representative of all land-owning heads of household (vecinos). The colonial cabildo was essentially the same as the one that was developed in medieval Castile.
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'Vecino' means either "neighbour" or resident in modern Spanish. Historically in the Spanish Empire it referred instead to a householder of considerable social position in a town or a city, and was similar to "freeman" or "freeholder."
The Retroversion of the sovereignty to the people, which challenged the legitimacy of the colonial authorities, was the principle underlying the self-government temporarily in the absence of the legitimate king.
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