
Bernabe Araoz (1776-24 March 1824) was Governor of Tucuman Province from 14 November 1814 to 6 October 1817 (preceding Feliciano de la Mota Botello), from November 1819 to 28 November 1821 (succeeding De la Mota and preceding Abraham Gonzalez), and from October 1822 to August 1823 (succeeding Gonzalez and preceding Diego Araoz).
Biography[]
Bernabe Araoz was born in Monteros, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776. He came from one of the most influential and wealthy families in San Miguel de Tucumán, and he took command of a cavalry militia regiment in 1803. Araoz supported the 1810 May Revolution in Buenos Aires, after which he became Mayor of Tucuman. He served under Juan Ramon Balcarce at the Battle of Tucuman in 1812, and he became governor of Tucuman Province in 1814. Araoz hosted the 1816 Congress of Tucuman, where the independence of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata was proclaimed, but he also fought against his fellow Argentines during the Argentine Civil War, suppressing secessionist movements in Santiago del Estero. After the Battle of Cepeda in 1820, Araoz proclaimed the Republic of Tucuman, and he moved to suppress Catamarca and Santiago del Estero's separatist movements. He soon became rivals with Martin Miguel de Guemes, battling him and temporarily deposing Guemes in Salta on 3 April 1821. In June 1821, peace between Tucuman and Santiago del Estero was restored, and Guemes was assassinated that same month. In November 1821, former ally Abraham Gonzalez deposed Araoz, and his distant relative Diego Araoz contended with Bernabe Araoz and Javier Lopez for power. In March 1824, Araoz was captured by Tucuman forces and executed at Trancas on 7 March 1824.