User:ULIFOX 3XX/Combat of La Rioja

Combat or The Battle of La Rioja was a confrontation due to the Argentine Civil Wars, which occurred in the City of La Rioja (Argentina) on October 16, 1820.

Through this combat, Commander Juan Facundo Quiroga (in command of the local La Rioja and Montonera militias) defended La Rioja from the Unitary Army and defeated Francisco Aldao, who had to withdraw from the province.

Reason for the battle
Colonel Francisco Solano del Corro had occupied La Rioja in his advance from San Juan and Mendoza, after defeating the governor Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo. After a few days of occupation, he came into conflict with his deputy, Francisco Aldao, who expelled him from the city and took charge of the Auxiliaries of the Andes.

The Battle
The commander of the Los Llanos department, Facundo Quiroga, had escaped Ocampo's defeat and had assembled militias in his area of influence. With only 80 men, he again marched on the city, attacking Aldao on October 16. The combat lasted a short time and incredibly the militias defeated the invaders despite being fewer, giving victory to the caudillo, who thus won his first battle as head of his troops. The Auxiliaries of the Andes were incorporated into the provincial army by Quiroga in order to reinforce his power.

Consequences
As a consequence, Quiroga removed Ortiz de Ocampo from his position as governor of La Rioja and replaced him with Colonel Nicolás Dávila as the new governor. From that date, Facundo Quiroga became the boss of La Rioja, so that this small battle reached a key importance in the History of the province of La Rioja.