Vicente Benavides

Who was Vicente Benavides?

Vicente Benavides Llanos was a Chilean soldier who fought in the Chilean War of Independence. He initially sided with the patriots but changed sides later to side with the royalists. He then led the resistance during the so-called Guerra a muerte. This was a time of irregular warfare and Benavides got the aid of many Mapuche chiefs to combat the Chileans and pillage the countryside. The Pincheira brothers, a future outlaw group, served Benavides in the Guerra a muerte by defending the Cordillera.

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