Pascual Ruiz Huidobro

Who was Pascual Ruiz Huidobro?

Pascual Ruiz Huidobro, Spanish soldier in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, who fought against the British invasions of the Río de la Plata as Governor of Montevideo.

Ruiz Huidobro had a long naval service career in the Spanish Navy, in Cádiz and other locations. He arrived in the Río de la Plata with the Viceroy Ceballos expedition in 1777. After serving in different posts in Spanish America, he reached the post of Teniente General de Marina. In 1803 he was named civil and military Governor of Montevideo and commander of the local navy fleet. The next year, with new Viceroy Sobremonte, he was named chief troop inspector of the viceroyalty, that is to say second in military command after the viceroy.