Miguel Zugastegui y Verduzco, O.F.M. (or Zugasti, 14 February 1773 – 3 May 1809) was a

Criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...

Franciscan friar The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest contem ...

and revolutionary, who took part in early stages of the independence movement of Mexico. He is honored in Mexico as a martyr of the struggle for independence from Spain.

Life

Zugastegui was born in the region of

Otumba Otumba may refer to: *Otumba, State of Mexico, a municipality in the State of Mexico, Mexico *Otumba de Gómez Farías, a town and the municipal seat of Otumba municipality, State of Mexico *Otompan Otompan (Nahuatl for "place of Otomis") or Otumb ...

, the son of Juan Zugasti and Ana Verduzco, both born in Spain. Feeling called to become a priest, he went to

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

to study theology, where he decided to enter the Order of Friars Minor. After his

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

as a Catholic priest, Zugastegui was committed to serve the people in the

confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall where the priest from some Christian denominations sits to hear the confessions of a penitent's sins. It is the traditional venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Luther ...

. On afternoons that he was free, he would go to a cafe which was popular with the unemployed men of the city who wished to discuss the current events of the day. On 11 August 1808 he was vocal and vehement in his support of Mexican independence from the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

and in support of the call for a national convention to discuss the establishment of a local government due to the seizure of the

Spanish Crown The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. This step was opposed by the

Audiencia Real A ''Real Audiencia'' (), or simply an ''Audiencia'' (), was an appellate court in Spain and its empire. The name of the institution literally translates as Royal Audience. The additional designation ''chancillería'' (or ''cancillería'', Catala ...

, the legislative authority of the colony. The

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

José de Iturrigaray José Joaquín Vicente de Iturrigaray y Aróstegui, KOS (27 June 1742, Cádiz, Spain – 22 August 1815, Madrid) was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Spain, from 4 January 1803 to 16 September 1808, during Napoleon's invasion ...

, on the other hand, was in favor of the congress and had the support of the

Criollos In Hispanic America, criollo () is a term used originally to describe people of full Spanish descent born in the viceroyalties. In different Latin American countries, the word has come to have different meanings, mostly referring to the local ...

(locally born children of Spanish colonists) segment of the population. When Zugastegui's words were reported to the ''Alcalde'' (Chief Justice) of the ''

Real Audiencia A ''Real Audiencia'' (), or simply an ''Audiencia'' (), was an appellate court in Spain and its empire. The name of the institution literally translates as Royal Audience. The additional designation ''chancillería'' (or ''cancillería'', Catala ...

'', he asked the

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

of the Convent of San Francisco to have him confined while he prepared a report of the incident. The finalized report simply mentioned the imprudence on Zugastegui's part. With the growing crisis of the government in Spain, the friar was forgotten by the government, and he was soon allowed to the leave the friary again, with the goal of assisting the dying. After the military coup which deposed Iturrigaray, new comments made by Zugastegui criticizing the new viceroy,

Pedro de Garibay Pedro de Garibay (1729, Alcalá de Henares, Spain – July 7, 1815, Mexico City) was a Spanish military officer and, from September 16, 1808 to July 19, 1809, viceroy of New Spain. Military career Born in Alcalá de Henares in 1729 (some sourc ...

, however, soon brought him back to the attention of the ''Audiencia''. His accuser claimed that the friar was involved in plans by French forces to overthrow the Spanish government in New Spain. Based on this, the ''Alcalde'' had Zugastegui arrested in the middle of the night, so as to avoid attention. Without any judicial process, due to the panic by government authorities out of the political crisis in Spain, on 27 March 1809 he was judged guilty of agitating for independence and ordered deported to Spain. The judgement was approved by Vicetory Garibay on 15 April. He was then transported to

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

, together with the

Mercedarian The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives (, abbreviated O. de M.), also known as the Mercedarians, is a Catholic mendicant order established in 1218 by Peter Nolasco in the city of Barcelon ...

friar,

Melchor de Talamantes Melchor de Talamantes (in full, Melchor de Talamantes Salvador y Baeza) (January 10, 1765, Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru – May 9, 1809, Veracruz, Mexico), was a Mercedarian friar and priest, a political liberal, and a leader in Mexico's movement ...

, the author of the tract for independence which had led to the military coup. When they arrived, they were imprisoned in

Fort San Juan de Ulúa A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

to await transport to Spain. He fell ill from yellow fever while there and died in the early hours of 3 May. Upon being advised of Zugastegui's death, the Guardian of the Franciscan friary in Veracruz requested the body. It was buried in the sepulcher of the house.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zugastegui, Miguel 1773 births 1809 deaths People from Otumba Mexican people of Basque descent Spanish Friars Minor 18th-century Mexican Roman Catholic priests 19th-century Mexican Roman Catholic priests Deaths from yellow fever Infectious disease deaths in Mexico Spanish people who died in prison custody Mexican revolutionaries Mexican people who died in prison custody