Real Audiencia of Caracas

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Real Audiencia of Caracas (in Spanish completely: Audiencia y Cancillería Real de Caracas ) was established in 1786 and was a court with jurisdiction over a judicial district of the viceroyalty of New Granada and an institution of colonial administration (see: Real Audiencia ). The Caracas Audiencia was the last to be established in America by the Spanish. Their area of ​​responsibility largely coincided with what is now Venezuela . In the course of independence, their work ended in 1821.

The role of the Real Audiencias in the colonies

After the conquest of Central and South America ( Conquista ) by the Spaniards, King Charles V issued the “Laws on India” (Spanish: Leyes de Indias ) as well as the “New Laws” (Spanish: Leyes Nuevas ), in which he is the administration of the overseas colonies in the "Viceroyalty of New Castile" organized and regulated.

The Real Audiencias were responsible for the implementation of the laws and the support of the military governors .

They fulfilled tasks in administration and finance that went far beyond that of a court according to today's understanding, especially as a separation of powers was unknown. In addition to a chairman and four judges (Spanish: Oidores ) there was a public prosecutor (Spanish: fiscal ), but also subordinate executive forces such as a bailiff (Spanish: alguacil mayor ), police forces, translators, etc.

The establishment

From 1550 to 1786 the territory of Venezuela was under the jurisdiction and administration of the Real Audiencia of Santa Fé de Bogotá . In the course of time the Spaniards moved away from their rigid centralized administrative system and divided their colonial empire into smaller, more easily overlooked units; so the viceroyalty of New Granada (from 1717) and within it the general captainate of Caracas was established. By royal decree of July 6, 1786, King Charles III. the establishment of its own Real Audiencia in Caracas.

Jurisdiction

The reason for the establishment was a territorial reorganization of the colony. The Cumaná and Margarita y Trinidad regions moved from the Real Audiencia area of ​​Santo Domingo to Caracas, while the Caracas, Maracaibo and Guyana areas were taken from the sovereignty of the Real Audiencia of Santa Fé de Bogotá .

The Real Audiencia no longer had a chair; the chairmanship of the captain general was of a formal nature, he had neither the right to speak nor a voice. The reigning Oidores held the chair as regents .

job

The Audiencia began its work on July 19, 1787 with a chairman, three oidores and a fiscal and several subordinate employees.

The establishment of the Audiencia had far-reaching consequences for the administration of justice in the region. In 1788, a Colegio de Abogados (law school) was established in Caracas; In 1790 the Academia de Derecho Espanol y Público (Law Academy) followed.

The Audiencia lasted until 1821, when the Venezuelan territory became independent as part of the Greater Colombia Republic and jurisdiction was no longer in the hands of the Spaniards.

literature

  • Alí Enrique López Bohórquez: La función política de la Real Audiencia de Caracas y he recate de la autoridad colonial en Venezuela . In: Tierra Firme . tape 26 , no. 104 , 2008, ISSN  0798-2968 ( Scielo [accessed March 31, 2015]).
  • Guillermo Morón: La Real Audiencia de Caracas . In: Historia de Venezuela . Enciclopedia Británica de Venezuela. First book, volume 6 . Caracas 1995, chapter 4, p. 49–65 ( Unam [PDF; accessed March 31, 2015]).

Web links