The elections

Between 1741 and 1781 there were a number of confrontations and lawsuits of varying importance between inhabitants of Oruro. An analysis of these cases – which are documented in the jumble of judicial papers presented before the authorities – shows a society in conflict, or, at the very least, one that was quite active and prone to disorder.

The lawsuit studied in this chapter arose from the irregularities of an election of town officers in January 1741. The names of the participants in this wrangle reveal, in addition to their position within the local administration, the weight of their participation as members of the mining society of the town.

The conflict centered on the annual elections of the officials of the cabildo. At this time – January i, 1741 – Martín de Espeleta y Villanueva was the corregidor who, according to law, presided over the session. He was accompanied in this instance by the alcalde provincial, Don Melchor de Herrera, the alférez real, Joseph Díaz Ortiz – both outgoing alcaldes ordinarios – as well as the alguacil mayor, Joseph de Aldave y Salamanca, and the regidores (also called los veinticuatro [the twenty-four] according to an old denomination) whose names were Agustín Ibáñez de Murzábal, Manuel Garcia de Ayllón, Joseph de Imblusqueta, and Bias Joseph del Barrio.