Vicente Benavides Llanos (Quirihue, 1777 – Santiago, Chile, February 23, 1822) was a Chilean soldier who fought in the Chilean War of Independence. He is best known for leading Royalists guerrillas in La Frontera during the last years of the war.

Life as soldier

He initially sided with the patriots but later changed sides to fight with the royalists. He then led the royalist bands during the so-called Guerra a muerte. This was a time of irregular warfare. Benavides obtained the aid of many Mapuche chiefs to combat the Chileans and pillage the countryside. He became known in this period for cruelty towards prisoners and breaking faith during truces. The Pincheira brothers, a future outlaw group, served Benavides in the Guerra a muerte by defending the Cordillera. In March 1821 Perseverance was anchored at St Mary's (-37.05°N, -73.51667°W) when a boat belonging to Benavides captured her; she was later burnt in the Tubul River (-37.233°N, -73.443°W). Benavides murdered her master, two mates, and part of her crew. On 14 May Benevides seized the American merchant vessel Hersilia, also at Santa Maria island, and later destroyed the vessel.

Execution

Benavides was captured near the end of the war. After a brief trial in Santiago, Benavides was hanged on 23 February 1822. His body was mutilated and dismembered, due to popular feeling against him.

In literature

The author Joseph Conrad modeled his character Gaspar Ruiz on Benavides. Conrad wrote "Gaspar Ruiz": in 1904–5, published it in The Strand Magazine (1906), and again in A Set of Six (1908 in the UK; 1915 in the US). This story was the only piece of Conrad's fiction ever adapted by the author for cinema, as Gaspar the Strong Man (1920). Conrad found Benavides in Chapter 4 of Captain Basil Hall's 1824 book.

Citations