An outstanding Chilean politician and military man, he was born in Chillán, Chile, on August 20, 1778 and died in Lima, Peru, on October 24, 1842.
He was a natural child of whoever he was Governor of the Kingdom of Chile Y Viceroy of Peru, Ambrosio O’Higgins who at that time was Lieutenant Colonel of Granaderos, 59 years old and Isabel Riquelme Meza, a 19-year-old girl of Basque descent and was baptized with the name of Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme. Due to his maternal ancestry, he belonged to one of the families that enjoyed the greatest prestige and social recognition in Chillán.
His father determined that he study at the beginning in Chillán, his hometown, where he was under the care of a couple of Portuguese merchants, while he was interned at the school and where he was visited by his mother and his maternal relatives, including his stepsister Rosa, and then continue with his training in Lima and finish it in England. He is baptized in Chillán and recognized by his father, but the mother’s name appears reserved at her request and even though the document records him as Bernardo O’Higgins, he was known as Bernardo Riquelme until he was 24 years old.
While in England, his math teacher, Francisco de Miranda He instructed him in the new libertarian ideas, the rights of man and the ideal of achieving the sovereignty of the peoples, giving him many advice that later O’Higgins would put into practice in the independence process of his country.
When he completed his studies, in 1802, at the age of 24, he returned to Chile and settled on his hacienda de San José de las Canteras that he had received as an inheritance, dedicating himself fully to agricultural production. This large inheritance had been left to him by his father who had died after having an altercation due to a misunderstanding with his son, for which he had taken away his support, while Bernardo was in Cádiz.
Once all the inheritance procedures have been arranged, he settles down on the farm and takes his mother, his half-sister Rosa, and his uncle Manuel Riquelme to live, who not only accompanied him, but also helped him in the organization of the farm, the purchase of some head of cattle and construction of the main house.
In those years the whole process of independence of Chile from the Spanish empire, in which O’Higgins had an active participation, starting in 1810, so he resolved to abandon his agricultural activities and enter a military career, which would lead him to become one of the main managers of the independence of his country, already be considered as one of the Founding Fathers.
His outstanding performance led him to exercise the leadership of the State from 1817 to 1823, with the title of Supreme Director, but he had already held other positions as mayor of the Chillán council in 1806, annoying his detractors for his marked English influence, but his presence prevented action against him. However, he resigns from this position and goes into exile in Peru, until the day of his death.
It is undoubtedly one of the figures that are part of what is known as Liberators of America, being captain general of the Chilean’s Army, general of the Great Colombia, brigadier of the United Provinces of the Río de La Plata and one of the main leaders in the process of Liberating Expedition of Peru.