Joaquim Xavier Curado, Count of São João das Duas Barras (2 December 1746 – 15 September 1830), also known as the "creator of the Brazilian army" and the "commander of the army of independence", was a Brazilian military officer, nobleman and politician.
Biography Born in the Parish of Meia Ponte, today Pirenópolis, son of José Gomes Curado and Dona Maria Josefa Pinheiro, in an aristocratic family. He was descended from many illustrious personages such as Martim Afonso de Sousa, João Gonçalves Zarco and Raposo Tavares. fatherless at an young age, he left as a teenager for Rio de Janeiro, in order to qualify to enter the University of Coimbra. At the age of 21, at the invitation of the Count of Cunha, he left the São José seminary and joined the army as a noble soldier. He headed to the southern border with the expedition of General João Henrique Böhn, with the intention of fighting the Spanish invaders.Lago, Laurêncio. Brigadeiros e generais de D. João VI e D. Pedro I no Brasil. Dados biográficos, 1800-1831. Rio de Janeiro: Gráfica Laemmert. p. 83; Silva, A. Pretextato Maciel da. Os generais do exercito Brasileiro de 1822- 1898. Rio de Janeiro: T. I., 1906. p. 192.
Due to his success in the expedition, he was recommended by Viceroy Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa to replace him in the position in question. In 1797, he was introduced by the Count of Resende to Dom Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho, being presented with excellent references. In the Count of Rezende's last period in government, he was appointed Governor of Campos dos Goytacazes.
During a voyage to Lisbon, his ship was captured by a French vessel, and he was taken prisoner to the Bay of Biscay. He returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1800. In the same year, he was appointed Interim Governor of Santa Catarina, and received the honors of colonel.
From there, he continued his mission in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Prata, where he remained until 1820. Upon returning to Rio de Janeiro, he was appointed War Advisor. In 1822, he commanded troops loyal to Emperor Dom Pedro I, defeating the rebel troops of General Jorge Avilez. He died on September 15, 1830, aged 83, in Rio de Janeiro. In 1869 his remains were transferred to a crypt in the cemetery of the order of Saint Francis of Paola by Emperor Dom Pedro II.
Career In 1774, after receiving the rank of ensign, he marched with the expeditionary army to Rio Grande do Sul, with the aim of expelling the Spanish troops who occupied part of the territory, participating in the Spanish-Portuguese war of 1776–1777.
After the southern campaign ended, he was assigned to defend the inhabitants between the captaincies of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, who were suffering from Indians who plundered farms. He managed to control the war, and guaranteed the permanent occupation of the colonizers. It was at this moment that he showed himself to be a good military strategist.
For the good services he provided, the viceroy praised and thanked him, in a report dated August 20, 1789, graduating him to the rank of lieutenant colonel of infantry. In 1795 he was appointed governor of Campos dos Goytacazes, a position he held until 1797.
Governor Of Santa Catarina (1800–1805) After the end of his term as Governor of Campos, he went to Europe at the Lisbon court. During the journey, his ship was attacked by a French vessel, and, on orders from above, he threw all the documentation he brought with him into the sea. He continued as a prisoner to the Bay of Biscay, where he went overland to Lisbon. He would only return to Rio de Janeiro in 1800. In the same year, he was appointed Interim Governor of Santa Catarina, also becoming a colonel.de Souza, Adriana (Dezembro de 2007). «A metamorfose de um militar em nobre: trajetória, estratégia e ascensão social no Rio de Janeiro joanino» (PDF). Revista Tempo, UFF. 24
Curado's appointment to the governance of the province was not by chance. The proximity of Santa Catarina to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was of great interest to the Portuguese Crown, which desired the occupation and consequent annexation of the Platine provinces. For this, the best name would be Colonel Curado, due to his experience in conflicts and negotiations. Since taking office, Curado had planned the occupation of the region. To this end, he coordinated secret work regarding the military capacity of the Viceroyalty of Río de la Prata, which included an investigation into the arsenal and military contingents there.
The report from the secret investigation was quite detailed, containing information such as: plans of fortresses in the Platine region and statistical tables of the Spanish contingent in the region.
In 1805, Xavier Curado returned to Rio de Janeiro after leaving his position in Santa Catarina, and requested reform of the army, which was denied by Viceroy Marcos de Noronha, Count of Arcos, who promoted him to brigadier on 2 June 1806.
The Curado report In 1807, the first French invasion of Portugal, with help from Spain, further helped the Portuguese Crown to continue with plans to occupy the Platine provinces, as it would not cause embarrassment, as the action would be justified as a reprisal for French and Spanish policy. in Europe. In 1808, with the new invasion of Portugal, which forced the Portuguese Royal Family to transfer to Brazil, the plan was even more embraced by the Crown. Portugal's main alliance during the incumbency was with Britain. The British had commercial interests in the Americas, and Brazil, the largest country in the region, was the focus. However, the Brazilians understood the importance of the platinum provinces, especially with regard to the flow of imported products. Therefore, he wanted the annexation of the Rio da Prata region by Brazil.
The plan for annexation was intended be completed soon after the arrival of the Royal Family in Brazil. And the information from Joaquim Xavier Curado provided security for entry into the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Prata. As soon as the Court was installed in the country, Dom Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho, a Portuguese diplomat, put the plan into action. At first, probably following Curado's instructions, he sought to convince the colonial elites of the annexation, in addition to trying to convince the platine leaders of the advantages of becoming part of Brazil. After the peaceful attempt at annexation, Dom Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho decided to begin his plans to have a more aggressive foreign policy with the platine region. Days after sending a letter to the Platine leaders suggesting annexation, he decides to send Joaquim Xavier Curado back to Spanish territory.
Back in the Rio de la Plata Dom Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho gave very specific instructions for Curado's mission in the region. They consisted, firstly, of entering Montevideo and Buenos Aires without raising suspicion, with the supposed purpose of negotiating on behalf of Portugal. The second was to try to convince the leaders of how an annexation of the platine provinces would be beneficial for all parties involved. And, finally, it was necessary to examine how public opinion would react to a handover to the Portuguese Government, as well as the military conditions enjoyed by the Spanish.Ofício de dom Rodrigo de Souza Coutinho ao Brigadeiro Joaquim Xavier Curado em 15/03/1808. Apud Acevedo, Walter Alexandre. A missão secreta do marechal Curado ao Rio da Prata (1808-1808). Revista do IHGB, Rio de Janeiro, jul./set. 1946, p. 175.
However, some factors begin to change the "Curado mission". First, a Spanish army officer is discovered in Rio de Janeiro trying to obtain a passport to Buenos Aires. He was the brother of Santiago de Liniers, viceroy of Buenos Aires. As soon as the court became aware of the official's presence, a warrant was issued for his arrest and for him to be taken to the palace. There, Dom Rodrigo adopted a more diplomatic stance, making it clear that he aimed for peace between the Spanish and Portuguese.Archivo General de la Nación. Politica lusitana en el Rio de La Plata — 1808-1815. Buenos Aires, 1961. 3 vols. Vol. 1, p. 31. (Coleção Lavradio)
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However, the Spanish leaders were already aware of the presence of Xavier Curado in platinum territory, and sent a letter to the court criticizing the "Curado Mission", remembering that the officer's presence did not contribute to peace between the two countries.Archivo General de la Nación. Politica lusitana en el Rio de La Plata — 1808-1815. Buenos Aires, 1961. 3 vols. Vol. 1, p. 37. (Coleção Lavradio)
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At that time, Curado was in Montevideo. However, aiming to strengthen ties with Santiago de Liniers, he sent a letter to him and to the governor of Montevideo requesting permission to go to Buenos Aires. On April 26, 1808, Liniers accepted Curado's request for entry, and that he would be provided with everything necessary for disembarking in the city. Even so, Curado's presence arouses suspicion among colonial authorities, who ask for explanations, which are promptly answered in a way that makes it clear that Curado's mission was restricted to dealing with trade between the two nations.
Even so, Platense leaders meet to discuss the Portuguese threat. The first measure was to discover the financial and military needs to ask for help from Spain, the Viceroyalty of Peru and other neighboring provinces. The letters sent deal with the distrust that the leaders had not only in the presence of Joaquim Xavier Curado, but also in the diplomatic exercise of Dom Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho. It ends by highlighting that there was no doubt that the Portuguese Government had become a declared enemy.Acordos Celebrados no Cabildo de Buenos Aires. 27 e 28 de abril de 1808. Arquivo General de la Nación. p.15.
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After realizing how dangerous the Portuguese Court had become, members of the Buenos Aires government ordered the Governor of Montevideo to detain Joaquim Xavier Curado and, consequently, not allow him to go to Buenos Aires. Furthermore, some troops were ordered to invade areas of Portuguese settlement on the Platina borders, mainly in the region of Rio Grande do Sul. The war had practically begun.Nota do vice-rei ao Governador de Montevidéu. Arquivo General de la Nación. p. 45.
The assessment was that the Portuguese forces would not have enough strength not only for an offensive, but also to maintain a war with Spain and its colonies. Furthermore, Spanish power was overestimated, as the country was extremely worn out by the French invasions and the internal crisis in the House of Bourbon. Furthermore, the Viceroyalty of Peru and other colonial armies were extremely worn down by indigenous rebellions at the meeting, such as the Túpac Amaru Revolt; therefore, they could not help in a war with Portugal.
Joaquim Xavier Curado remained close to the platinum borders, but had not yet arrived in Montevideo. However, after learning of the Count of Liniers' condition in Rio de Janeiro, Santiago de Liniers orders Curado to be sent directly to Buenos Aires. Liniers demands the brigadier's credentials as a negotiator for the Portuguese Government, knowing that he did not have any formal document to prove this fact. Even though Curado claims to be "legitimately authorized and informed of the objects of my commission; as Delegate of the Portuguese Government", Liniers questions him claiming that he does not have legitimate powers to negotiate. Therefore, it is ordered that Curado be held hostage until the Count of Liniers returns to the viceroyalty.