The Lautaro Lodge was an organization with independence aims that was formed in 1812, mainly by Argentine and Chilean revolutionaries who sought to disengage from the Spanish colonies. This lodge acted in secret following Masonic precepts marked in other lodges known at the time.
One of these was the Lodge of the Rational Knights founded by Francisco de Miranda. Francisco de Miranda was a politician and military man with Spanish and Venezuelan roots, and the forerunner of the American emancipation movement after leading the Venezuelan side that achieved victory over the Spanish colonies.
Pedro Subercaseaux
His example, not only in this achievement, but also in participation in the Independence of the United States and the French Revolution, was regarded as a moral heritage that set precedents for others to follow in his footsteps.
Its ideals and principles are the same that later reigned in the Lautaro Lodge: freedom, fraternity and equality, a very popular motto also during the French Revolution. This lodge aspired to create a society of free humans valued with equal rights regardless of their economic, cultural or intellectual conditions.
Origin
The Lautaro Lodge was an offshoot of the Great American Meeting or Lodge of Rational Knights that Francisco de Miranda created in London. Its foundation took place in Spain in the cities of Cádiz and Madrid in 1811, and it received the name of Lautaro in honor of the Chilean Mapuche who promoted the independence of the Spanish conquerors.
This Lautaro Lodge did not take long to move to American lands, as it was precisely there where hostility was being suffered by the architects of the conquest. This happened with the legacy of San Martín and Carlos de Alvear to Buenos Aires, Argentina, after having participated together with Miranda in the Great Meeting of America.
Its modus operandi was very similar to that of a Masonic lodge. Although there is no proof that Miranda was, her way of working and fighting for her ideals is very close to this mode of thinking.
The Lautaro Lodge functioned as a secret organization, a concept that was well known since the late 18th century. There were many secret societies that had political or other purposes and since their existence was not known, they could hide their activity and even the names of their components.
As a general rule they always fought against larger organizations. According to Albert Lantoine, these societies existed to achieve a goal. If that objective was fulfilled, or disappeared, society was extinguished.
Organization of the lodge
The Lautaro Lodge, like many other underlying lodges, was organized and composed in this way:
- Thirteen gentlemen who will lead
- President
- Vice president
- Secretary of North America
- Secretary of South America
- Speaker who will act as spokesperson
- Master of ceremonies
- A religious representative of great value
No member of the family of any of those who were part of the lodge was allowed to form a direct or indirect part. If for some reason, one of the 'brothers' was chosen by the government to perform the role of warbler or army chief, he could create a secondary lodge, as long as it was supported and supervised by the parent lodge, in this case the Lodge. Lautaro. Always with the condition that it should not be made up of more than five people.
In addition, one more norm that highlighted the organization and influence of this society, is that if one of its members was chosen to form part as a principal of the government, he could not give his opinion on a relevant matter without first having the approval of the rest of the lodge.
The lodge in Argentina
Most of the components of the Lautaro Lodge came from Chile and Argentina, so it is logical to think that it was precisely in these two countries where it had the most influence.
The objective in this country was to completely disassociate itself from the Spanish colonies and achieve independence with a military victory, managing to create a unitary government. To achieve this, they held secret meetings in private homes. Its most prominent members were:
- Jose de San Martin
- Carlos de Alvear
- Jose Maria Zapiola
- Ramón Eduardo de Anchoris
- Julian Alvarez
Its greatest victory achieved took place when several members were part of the executive power called Supreme Directors of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.
The lodge in Chile
In Chile it was known as the Lautarina Lodge and its objective was to establish new independent governments in America that did not have any Spanish influence. She had close contact and relationship with the lodge of Argentina and both nations achieved great achievements.
Some of its most prominent members were the following:
- Bernardo O'Higgins (Founder of the lodge in Chile)
- Jose de San Martin
- Ramon Freire
- Miguel Zañartu
- Jose Ignacio Zenteno
During the existence of the Lautarine Lodge, there were several assassinations of recognized military patriots who had actively fought for the independence of the country. These were Manuel Javier Rodríguez and Erdoíza and the Carrera brothers.
Although on the surface they seemed to seek the same thing as the lodge, their innermost purpose was to assume power rather than just to achieve independence. For this reason, there are many historians who speculate on the possibility that it was the lodge itself that planned and ordered their murders.
The lodges present in Argentina and Chile aroused the appetite for independence of other Latin countries. Soon they were spreading and new branches were formed. As stated about secret societies, the Lautaro Lodge disappeared when its objectives were achieved: independence and the creation of independent governments.
However, this result was not always what was expected, since in the case of Argentina, for example, the Anarchy of the year XX was established. This form of government did nothing more than stop the development of the country, consequences that last today.
There is no doubt that the results obtained were good or bad; Lautaro Lodge marked a before and after in the history of Latin America and that of humanity, exposing the functioning of some secret societies.
References
- Albert Lantoine. Histoire de la Franc-Maçonnerie française Paris. 1925. p.8
Serge Hutin. The secret societies. University Ed. Buenos Aires. 1961.p
- Ossa-Santa-Cruz JL. The government of Bernardo O'Higgins seen through five American agents, 1817-1823. Coherence. 2016
- Martinez Esquivel R. Socio-occupational composition of the masons of the XIX century. Dialogs Rev Electrónoriaica Hist. 2007
- (2019). Retrieved from academiahhistorymilitar.Logia-Lautarina.Roberto-Arancibia-C..pdf
- Lautaro. es.wikipedia.org. 2019.