Tomás Brizuela

Tomás Brizuela was born in the Province of La Rioja around 1800. He was known as the "Zarco"[lower-alpha 1] for his blue eyes.[1] As a young man he joined the Federalist forces. He accompanied Quiroga in the Battle of El Tala against Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid, and as infantry leader in the Battle of Rincón de Valladares, where he earned promotion to Colonel. He later fought in the Federal defeat of the Battle of La Tablada. When the province was invaded by Lamadrid, after the Federal defeat in the Battle of Oncativo he was taken prisoner by Lieutenant Colonel Melián. Lamadrid ordered him shot, but Melián saved his life.

In late 1830 Brizuela joined the fight to recover La Rioja for his party, and occupied the provincial capital. On 3 February 1831 he was briefly appointed governor. Soon after the news came of the victory of Quiroga in the Battle of Rodeo de Chacon, which gave him control of Cuyo. Brizuela joined forces with Quiroga and was commander of the provincial army during the following years. On 15 January 1836 he repulsed the invasion of San Juan Governor Martín Yanzón and counterattacked, occupying the city of San Juan and forcing Yanzón to flee. On 20 May 1837 he was appointed governor of La Rioja by the provincial legislature.

In early 1840, the Liberals and Unitarians of the northern provinces formed the Northern Coalition and invited Brizuela to join. He was named commander of the Coalition, but nobody accepted his orders. The Unitarian officers who arrived from Chile such as Colonel Juan Esteban Pedernera, sent to be his chief of staff, and those who come later with Lavalle, despised him for being an alcoholic and leader of irregular montoneras units. Taking his role seriously, he tried to convince the Santiago leader Juan Felipe Ibarra to join him, but Ibarra refused and remained true to Juan Manuel de Rosas.

After his defeat in the Battle of Quebracho Herrado, the Unitarian General Juan Lavalle retreated northward. La Rioja was invaded without difficulty by Nazario Benavídez and José Félix Aldao with 1,500 men,[1] threatening Brizuela and Lavalle. Lavalle abandoned the province for Catamarca, pursued by Oribe, while Aldao advanced towards Brizuela. Still commanding 600 men, Brizuela retreated to the Famatina valley, in the west of the province. He reached Sañogasta, where he was defeated. During the battle, on 20 June 1841 he was shot in the back by one of his officers, and died before being taken to the presence of Aldao.

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