What did Sarmiento interpret as “caudillo” and “caudillismo”?

Reflecting on the development of those concepts since the last edition of Facundo in 1874

Abstract

Facundo (1845) by Sarmiento is acknowledged as one of the most meaningful pieces of literature related to the concepts of “caudillo” / “caudillismo”. That text, among other issues, allowed tracing the origin of the “caudillos” in the campaigns as well as defining their habits and behavior by means of the syntagm “civilization/ barbarity”. Nevertheless, the following editions produced by the author of that literature piece enabled to soften, or even disagree with, that perspective. This is evident because the additions of the biographies of Aldao and “Chacho” Peñaloza in the editions of Facundo (1851) and Facundo (1868) include dissimilar features and characteristics inherent to other models of “caudillos”.

Taking into consideration that situation, this paper explores Facundo from the three biographical notes the author articulated -Quiroga, Aldao and Peñaloza- with the aim of questioning the reading interested in defining, unequivocally, the topic of “caudillo”/“caudillismo”. This paper is outlined by two conjectures: first, according to Sarmiento, the “caudillo” was a multiform phenomenon. Second, Sarmiento´s interest in describing “caudillismo” finally consisted in the search for diagraming a specific political context he considered necessary for his model of republic.

ARK CAICYT: https://id.caicyt.gov.ar/ark:/s16688090/rolz2yxn0