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Cobija, Bolivia's First Outlet to the Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

William Lofstrom
William Lofstrom*
Affiliation:
Fairfax, Virginia
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Extract

The first years of independence in Bolivia, as in all of the nations born of the Latin American wars of independence, were times of significant and often accelerated political, social and economic change. The republic created in 1825 in what was known in colonial times as Upper Peru participated fully in this important transformation. During the administration of Bolivia's first president, Antonio José de Sucre, (1825-1828) a program of ecclesiastical reform, educational and social innovation, and economic reorganization of far-reaching implications was undertaken. Upper Peru's chronic poverty, the concentration on silver mining and subsistence agriculture, excessive military expenses, hostility from neighboring countries, and the unbridled political ambitions of the military and civilians resulted in the failure of most of the reforms which might have radically altered the course of Bolivian history.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , October 1974 , pp. 185 - 205
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1974

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References

1 These conclusions are sustained by extensive research on the issues of attempted social and economic reform undertaken in the Bolivian National Archives and Library in Sucre. See my “The Promise and Problem of Reform, Attempted Social and Economic Change in the First Years of Bolivian Independence,” submitted to the graduate faculty of Cornell University for the Ph.D. degree in history. See also my “Attempted Economic Reform and Innovation in Bolivia Under Antonio José de Sucre, 1825–1828” in the Hispanic American Historical Review, L, (May 1970), pp. 279–299. There are two authoritative general biographies of Sucre: Villanueva, Laureano, Vida de don Antonio José de Sucre, gran mariscal de Ayacucho (Paris, 1900)Google Scholar and Rumazo, Alfonso González, Sucre, gran mariscal de Ayacucho, biografia (Madrid, 1964).Google Scholar Important sources on the history of the Sucre administration in Bolivia, in addition to those cited in this monograph, are: de Sucre, Antonio José, Cartas de Sucre al Libertador (1820–1830) (2 vols., Madrid, 1919)Google Scholar; Galindo, Carlos Blanco (ed.) Cartas del General Antonio José de Sucre, gran mariscal de Ayacucho (La Paz, 1918)Google Scholar; de Castro, José María Rey, Recuerdos del tiempo heróicò. Pajinas de la vida militar i política del gran mariscal de Ayacucho (Guayaquil, 1883)Google Scholar; and Mallo, Jorge, Historia de la fundación de Bolivia i lo que fue para ella la administración Sucre (Sucre, 1871)Google Scholar.

2 Bolivia, . Colección oficial de leyes, decretos, órdenes, resoluciones &c. (3 vol. in 5, Paz de Ayacucho [La Paz], 1834–35), v. I, pt. 1, p. 20.Google Scholar

3 Public Record Office (London) F. O. 61/12 John Barclay Pentland, “Report on the Bolivian Republic, 1827,” ff. 190v–191.

4 The population of La Paz in 1825 was approximately 35,000, while Chuquisaca and Potosí had 12,000 and 9,000 inhabitants respectively. An English visitor to La Paz in 1826 wrote; “since I strolled down Cheapside a twelvemonth ago, I have not seen such crowded streets, or so much bustle in the transaction of business.” Biblioteca Nacional de Bolivia (BNB) Colección Rück no. 436, diary of Dr. José María Bojo, f. 38v; Pentland, ff. 82, 105v, 102v; Temple, Edmond, Travels in Various Parts of Peru, Including a Year’s Residence in Potosí (2 vols., Philadelphia, 1833), v. II, p. 82.Google Scholar

5 Colección oficial v. I, pt. 1, p. 110. Bolívar was titular president of Bolivia during his visit to Upper Peru between August and December of 1825. Sucre exercised discretional command of the nation both before and after the Liberator’s visit, and in May of 1826 was elected provisional president by congress.

6 Mapa de la República de Bolivia … Impreso en la Presidencia Constitucional del Excmo. Señor Dr. Enrique Hertzog, año 1947 ( 104 cm. x 119 cm., La Paz, 1947).

7 d’Orbigny, Alcides Sessalines, Viaje a la América Meridional (trans. A. Cepeda, 4 vols., Buenos Aires, 1945), v. III, p. 933;Google Scholar Kanki, Vicente Pazos, Letters on the United Provinces of South America, (New York and London, 1819), p. 128;Google Scholar Pentland f. 185v; d’Orbigny, v. III, p. 934; El Cóndor de Bolivia (Chuquisaca) no. 117, February 28, 1828, pp. 3-4. On the French contraband trade in the Pacific see Sergio, Villalobos R., “Contrabando francés en el Pacífico,” Revista de Historia de América 51 (1961) pp. 49–80.Google Scholar

8 El Cóndor no. 65, March 1,1827 p. 3; d'Orbigny, v. III, pp. 934–936.

9 d’Orbigny, v. III, p. 933.

10 El Cóndor no. 65, March 1, 1827, pp. 3-4; Pentland ff. 187v-188v, 190; Humphreys, R.A., British Consular Reports on the Trade and Politics of Latin America, 1824–1826 (London, 1940) pp. 217–218.Google Scholar

11 Pazos Kanki, p. 128; Archivo Nacional de Bolivia (ANB) Ministerio del Interior (MI) t. 4, no. 13, Census of the Department of Potosí, April 28, 1825. For a description of the Atacama desert see Bowman, Isaiah, Desert Trails of Atacama (New York, 1924).Google Scholar

12 ANB, MI, t. 4, no. 13 Instructions for Captain Domingo Casanova, September 17, 1825; ANB, MI, t. 8, no. 63 draft, Sucre to Gregorio Fernández, Chuquisaca, December 7, 1825; ANB, MI, t. 6, no. 42, Fernández to Sucre, Potosí, December 10,1825.

13 ANB, MI, t. 8, no. 62 draft, Sucre to Felipe Santiago Estenós, Chuquisaca, November 17, 1825 (163); ANB, MI, t. 8, no. 63 draft, Sucre to Prefect of Potosí, Chuquisaca, December 6,1825; Prescott [pseud.?] El problema continental, (La Paz, 1921), p. 18.

14 Prescott, p. 19. The original of O’Connor’s report is not available in ANB.

15 Pentland, ff. 188–188v; Sucre to Bolívar, Chuquisaca, February 12, 1826 in O’Leary, Daniel Florencio, Memorias del General O’Leary, v. 1, “Correspondencia de hombres notables con el Libertador” (Caracas, 1879–1888) p. 297.Google Scholar See O’Connor’s own description of his mission to the coast in O’Connor, Francisco Burdett, Independencia americana. Recuerdos de Francisco Burdett O’Connor (Madrid, 1915? ) p. 185.Google Scholar

16 ANB, MI, 1.1, no. 5 Matías Terrasas to Sucre, Chuquisaca, December 13, 1825.

17 ANB, MI, t. 3, no. 54 Felipe Santiago Estenós to Sucre, Chuquisaca, December 16, 1825; ANB, MI, t. 8, no. 63 draft, Sucre to Matías Terrasas, Chuquisaca, December 22, 1825; ANB, MI, t. 1, no. 5 Triple Nomination for Parish of Chiu-chiu, canton Atacama, December 28,1825.

18 Colección oficial, v. I, pt. 1, p. 154. This move had been contemplated by Sucre as early as August of the previous year. See ANB, MI, t. 8, no. 63 draft, Sucre to Prefect of Potosí, August 30, 1825; de Castro, Rey, reprinted in Universidad de San Francisco Xavier (Sucre) 13, p. 65;Google Scholar Sucre to Bolívar, Potosí, March 9, 1826; Chuquisaca, May 11, 1826 in O’Leary, pp. 302, 319.

19 Sucre to Bolívar, Chuquisaca, January 27, 1826 in O’Leary, pp. 291–292; Haigh, Samuel, Sketches of Buenos Ayres, Chili, and Peru (London, 1831) pp. 351–356.Google Scholar The possibility of Bolivia’s purchase of the Peruvian province of Tarapacá was suggested as early as August of 1825 in the instructions prepared by the Bolivian Assembly for its representatives commissioned to meet Bolívar. The idea apparently had supporters in Peru also, since in January of 1826 the inhabitants of Tacna and Arica petitioned the Liberator for annexation to Bolivia. See Bolivia, . Libro menor de sessiones secretas de … la Asamblea General del Alto Perú (La Paz, n. d.) p. 11;Google Scholar El Cóndor no. 14, March 2, 1826, pp. 1–2; Zarco, José, Cuestión de límites entre Bolivia y el Perú (La Paz, 1897) p. 5.Google Scholar

20 Humphreys, p. 217; Zarco, pp. 4–5; Rodas, Alfonso Crespo, Santa Cruz; el cóndor indio (México, 1944) p. 73.Google Scholar

21 ANB, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MRE) 1826, Misión Mendizábal-Serrano, Jose María Mendizábal to Minister of Interior, Lima, August 18, 1826; ANB, MRE, Perú, Misión Ortíz de Zeballos, 1826–27, Ignacio Ortíz de Zeballos to Minister of Interior, Chuquisaca, October 17, 1826 (3); draft, Facundo Infante to Ortíz de Zeballos, Chuquisaca, October 25, 1826; El Cóndor no. 45, October 12,1826 p. 2.

22 ANB, MRE, Perú, Misión Ortíz de Zeballos, 1826-27, Ignacio Ortíz de Zeballos to Minister of Interior, Chuquisaca, November 15, 1826 (6). For the text of the treaty of limits see Bolivia, . Redactor de la Asamblea Constituyente del año 1826 (La Paz, 1917) pp. 834–847.Google Scholar

23 Bolivia, . Redactor, pp. 832,847–48;Google Scholar El Cóndor no. 54, December 19,1826, p. 4.

24 Bolivia, . Redactor, pp. 791 92, 805, 809;Google Scholar Sucre to Bolívar, Chuquisaca, December 4, 1826 in O’Leary, p. 408; ANB, MI, t.19, no. 1 draft, Minister of the Interior to Constituent Congress, Chuquisaca, December 29, 1826 (93); January 4, 1827 (94). The text of the treaty of confederation is not available in ANB.

25 Sucre to Bolívar, La Paz, March 11, 1826 [sic. 1827]; Chuquisaca, April 27, 1827 in O’Leary, pp. 424,314–315; Pentland f. 255.

26 Sucre to Bolívar, Chuquisaca, February 12,1826 in O’Leary, p. 297.

27 ANB, Ministerio de Hacienda (MH) t. 11, no. 14 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Finance, September 16, 1828 (17); ANB, Ministerio de Guerra (MG) t. 10, no. 45 Pablo Alemán to Minister of War, Salta, June 10,1827; ANB, MI, 1.15, no. 7 Minister of Finance to Minister of Interior, Chuquisaca, April 12, 1827 (22); ANB, MH.t. 17, no. 3 draft, Minister of Finance to Prefect of La Paz, April 17, 1827 (58) ; ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 Governor of Atacama to Sucre, Chiu-chiu, August 21,1827.

28 Colección oficial v. I, pt. 1, p. 65.

29 Colección oficial v. I, pt. 2, p. 4; El Cóndor no. 66, March 8, 1827 p. 3; Pentland, ff. 189–189V,

30 ANB, MI, t. 19, no. 1 draft, Minister of Interior to Congress, Chuquisaca, October 26,1826 (66) ; ANB, MH, t.1, no. 2 President of Congress to Sucre, Chuquisaca, November 9,1826.

31 ANB, MH, t. 17, no. 3 draft, Minister of Finance to Prefect of Potosí, October 1, 1827 (156); October 23, 1827 (179); ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 J. H. Alvarez to Facundo Infante, La Mar, October 24, 1827; Alvarez to Prefect of Potosí, La Mar, December 18, 1827; February 20, 1828; ANB, MH, t. 11, no. 14 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Finance, March 18,1828 (51).

32 ANB, MH, t. 11, no. 14 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Finance, May 27, 1828 (128) ; El Cóndor no. 113, June 5, 1828, p. 4; ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 J. H. Alvarez to Minister of Interior, La Mar, November 20, 1828.

33 ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 J. H. Alvarez to Minister of Interior, La Mar, October 18, 1827; ANB, MI, t. 22, no. 21 Alvarez to Minister of Interior, Cobija, February 20,1828.

34 ANB, MH, t.11, no. 14 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Finance, May 27, 1828 (128) ; ANB, MI, t. 19, no. 16 draft, Minister of Interior to Prefect of Potosí, Chuquisaca, No-vember 29,1827 (345).

35 ANB, MH, t. 11, no. 14 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Finance, May 27, 1828 (129); ANB, MI, t. 22, no. 21 J. H. Alvarez to Minister of Interior, La Mar, January 2, 1828; ANB, MI, t. 22, no. 23 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Interior, February 26, 1828 (56); El Cóndor no. 117, February 28, 1828, pp. 3–4.

36 Colección oficial, v. I, pt. 2, pp. 164-166; ANB, MI, t. 18, no. 20 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Interior, September 13, 1827 (174). The decree was publicized in El Cóndor on September 13.

37 ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 J. H. Alvarez to Minister of Interior, October 12, 1827 (2 notes) ; October 18, 1827; October 24, 1827. The land grants were publicized in El Cóndor on November 12,1827.

38 ANB, MI, t. 19, no. 16 draft, Minister of Interior to Prefect of Potosí, November 7, 1827 (331); November 12, 1827 (333); ANB, MI, t. 19, no. 11 draft, Minister of the In-terior to Prefect of Cochabamba, November 12, 1827 (216); El Cóndor supp. to no. 101, November 12, 1827, p. 3.

39 ANB, MI, t. 18, no. 20 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Interior, November 27, 1827 (228); El Cóndor no. 117, February 28, 1828, p. 4.

40 ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 J. H. Alvarez to Minister of Interior, La Mar, October 18, 1827; El Cóndor no. 81, June 21, 1827, p. 4; no. 100, November 1, 1827, p. 3; supp. to no. 101, November 12, 1827, p. 3; no. 102, November 14, 1827, p. 4; ANB, MI, t. 22, no. 23 Pre-fect of Potosí to Minister of Interior, March 13, 1828.

41 El Cóndor no. 91, August 30, 1827, p. 4; ANB, MI, t. 19, no. 16 draft, Minister of Interior to Prefect of Potosí, August 22, 1827; September 9, 1827 (307); ANB, MI, t. 18, no. 20 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Interior, September 11, 1827 (171).

42 ANB, MI, t. 19, no. 16 draft, Minister of Interior to Prefect of Potosí, September 9, 1827; El Cóndor no. 93 September 13, 1827, p. 1.

43 El Cóndor no. 94, September 26, 1827, p. 3; ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 J. H. Alvarez to Minister of Interior, La Mar, October 24,1827.

44 ANB, MI, t. 19, no. 16 draft, Minister of Interior to Prefect of Potosí, November 12, 1827 (333); El Cóndor no. 103 November 22,1827, p. 3.

45 El Cóndor no. 107 December 20, 1827, p. 4; no. 111, January 17, 1828 p. 2; no. 115, February 7, 1828; ANB, MI, t. 17, no. 18 Governor of Atacama to Minister of Interior, La Mar, December 29,1827.

46 El Cóndor no. 114, February 7, 1828, p. 3; no. 118, March 6, 1828; no. 120, March 20, 1828, p. 4.

47 El Cóndor no. 131, June 5, 1828, p. 4; no. 118, March 6, 1828, p. 4; ANB, MH, t. 11, no. 14 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Finance, May 27,1828 (129).

48 ANB, MI, 1.19, no. 16 draft, Minister of Interior to Prefect of Potosí, March 12, 1827; ANB, MH, t. 5, no. 1 Minister of Interior to Minister of Finance, February 21, 1827 (10); ANB, MH, t. 7, no. 10 Prefect of La Paz to Minister of Finance, September 28, 1827 (175) ; ANB, MH, t. 9, no. 1 draft, Minister of Interior to Minister of Finance, La Paz, February 13, 1828; El Cóndor no. 117, February 28,1828, p. 2; no. 131, June 5, 1828, p. 4.

49 ANB, MH, t. 11, no. 14 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Finance, September 16, 1828 (17); ANB, MI, t. 22, no. 23 Prefect of Potosí to Minister of Interior, October 11, 1828 (37).

50 Pentland, ff. 214–215.

51 Temple, v. II, p. 123.

52 Temple, v. II, pp. 122–123; ANB, MI, t. 13, no. 17, Income of Potosí Customs House, 1820–1824, n.d.; ANB, MI, t. 4, no. 13 Income of Potosí Customs House, 1825, n.d.

53 Temple, v. I, p. 217; Miller, John, Memoirs of General Miller in the Service of the Republic of Peru (2 vols., London, 1829), v. II, p. 289;Google Scholar Pentland, ff. 213v–214.

54 El Cóndor no. 2, February 16, 1826, p. 2; BNB, Rück no. 410, draft, Dámaso Uriburu to Emilio Salvigni, Potosí, February 1, 1826; draft Uriburu to Pedro Andrés Garcia, Guadalupe, July 26,1826.

55 Prescott, pp. 20–22; d’Orbigny, v. III, p. 949.

56 Citation is made here to laws or decrees relative to the later development of Cobija, without any attempt to determine if these measures were actually carried out. See Torrico, Melitón, Indice general de leyes, decretos, resoluciones, órdenes … (Rosario de Santa Fé, Argentina, 1884) pp. 64–65,79–80, 373.Google Scholar

57 Favre, León, “La Bolivie,” Revue Contemporaine v. 9 (1853) p. 228.Google Scholar

58 Torrico, pp. 45, 233, 394. A lithograph depicting Cobija in 1871 was published in Bresson, André, Bolivia: sept années d’explorations, de voyages et de séjours dans l’Amérique australe (Paris, 1886) p. 285.Google Scholar

59 Torrico, p. 292.

60 d’Orbigny, v. III, p. 932; Dennis, William J., Tacna and Arica. An Account of the Chile-Peru Boundary Dispute (New Haven, 1931) pp. 19, 33.Google Scholar

61 Torrico, pp. 292, 292, 204, 205.

62 Peñaloza, Luis, Historia económica de Bolivia (2 vols., La Paz, 1953–54) pp. 329–395.Google Scholar

63 Chile, , Comision Central del Censo, Censo de la República de Chile, levantado el 28 de Noviembre de 1907 (Santiago, 1908) p. 87.Google Scholar