Masonry From The 18th Up To The 20th Century
CHAPTER Ii
masonry in latin america
W.Bro. Juan Carlos
Alvarez, P.J.G.W.,
Regional Grand
Counsellor New South Wales, Australia.
Masonry during the 18th century
During the 18th century we have seen how speculative masonry raised from no
cohesion at all to an organised body in 1717 with the formation of the Grand
Lodge of England, and its rapid expansion throughout the world.
Regarding English masonry in the Southern South American region, or as was
commonly known in the period, "The Virreynato del Rio de la Plata", judging by
documents found in Buenos Aires and other papers in the archives of the United
Grand Lodge of England, during the Grand Mastership of Thomas, the 2nd Viscount
of Weymouth, Sir Randolph (or Randal) TOOK was appointed as Provincial Grand
Master for South America by Grand Lodge on 17th April, 1735.
Because the Grand Lodge of England started to keep formal records of its
members only from 1750 onwards, we do not have great details of Randolph Took,
but his name was credited by some masonic historians as a member of Lodge
Emulation No 21 founded in London in 1723.
In the "History of the Grand Lodge of England 1717-1967" page 253, he is
recorded as "returned as a member of the Lodge held at the Queen's Arms, Newgate
Street in 1730". In the official publication listing all Provincial Grand
Masters, Sir Randolph Took appeared from 1737 until 1750, when his name failed
to be listed, giving us a possible indication of his resignation or his
death.
In some documents found in Buenos Aires, Sir Randolph Took was quoted as a
businessman travelling between Buenos Aires, Brazil, and the Caribbean Islands
during the years 1735 to 1737, but nothing more is known of Randolph Took, and
many years were to pass before any lodge was established in South America.
As we had mentioned before, the lack of early masonic records in this part of
the world, makes a very difficult task for masonic researchers, and leaves
everyone open to different interpretations and conjectures some times very hard
to refute.
As a result of the frequent persecutions of Freemasonry in Latin America,
historical documents are not easy to find making it very difficult to
reconstruct a complete and accurate history of the Craft in the continent.
Contrary to arguments presented by several masonic historians, Alcibiades
Lappas, a prolific and renowned Argentinean historian, and a member of the
Craft, in his book "Argentine Masonry through its members" asserted his ability
to prove the existence of a lodge in Buenos Aires founded at the end of the 18th
century called "Independencia" and warranted by the Grande Loge Generale
Ecossaise de France in 1795.
As this Body was absorbed by the Grand Orient of France on 8th January, 1805,
Lodge Independencia was left to its own devices and to act according to its
preferences regarding its future allegiances. Alcibiades Lappas, claimed in his
book, among other things, that about the same time a Portuguese by the name of
Juan da Silva Cordero founded the Lodge St John of Jerusalem with a warrant from
the Grand Lodge of Maryland, and that during the invasion of Buenos Aires by the
British Forces, the Travelling Military Lodges under the Irish Constitution,
formed the Lodges "Hijos de Hiram" (Sons of Hiram) and "Estrella del Sur"
(Southern Star) initiating many creoles or local residents.
It may be coincidental, but about this time, in 1795, when this lodge was
said to be formed, a Royal Decree permitted trade with colonies of Spain's
allies and other commercial restrictions were further relaxed, reinforcing the
argument that trade and free movement brought better conditions for the
development of Freemasonry.
Masonry post-1810
Masonically speaking, this was the most important period in South America, as
it was the beginning of a great masonic expansion leading to the Grand Lodges we
find today, its policies, and the quality of its membership strictly imposed by
the authorities and members of the lodges. During and after the May Revolution,
which started on 25th May, 1810, there was great masonic activity. Unfortunately
there are not many masonic records available because this period in the history
of Freemasonry in South America was also characterised by extreme secrecy.
On the one hand the Royal Edict of 1751, pronouncing the death penalty for
being a Freemason, and on the other, the activities of the Revolutionary Forces
attached to the Lodges, the Constitution of which provided for an absolute
discretion from its members. It stated that "a Brother, who by word or sign
reveals the secret of the existence of the Lodge shall be put to death by the
means most convenient".
Prior to the May Revolution there was a lodge in Buenos Aires presided over
by Doctor Julian B. Alvarez. The name of this lodge still remains something of a
mystery. Sometimes it was known as the Lodge of St John, and sometimes with the
name of Lodge Independencia.
Because in this particular period most of the lodges were known as Lodges of
St John, one would be inclined to suggest several possibilities regarding the
two names,
a) Was it Lodge Independencia formed by the Grand Loge Generale Ecossaise de
France in 1795 ?
b) Was it Lodge St John of Jerusalem founded by the Portuguese Juan da Silva
Cordero with a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Maryland about the same time
?
c) Were there two lodges operating and confusion existed due to the secrecy
restricting its records ?
d) The fact that these two lodges, driven by the same ideals, may have
amalgamated to achieve a stronger force against the fight with the Spaniards.
But so far nobody knows !.
This Lodge presided over by Dr Julian Alvarez had a fundamental importance in
the history of Masonry in the Southern Cone of South America because it was the
forerunner of the Lautaro Lodges formed in 1812 in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe,
Cordoba and Mendoza in Argentina, Santiago in Chile, and Lima in Peru.
From these Lautaro Lodges, another was formed at Tucuman City called Logia
Argentina, and founded by General Belgrano, Commander in Chief of the Northern
Army in the War of Independence against Spain. This Lodge later changed its name
to Unidad Argentina warranted by the Masonic Body in Nueva Granada, an area
later becoming The Grand Colombia and what is known today as the countries of
Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela.
Many scholars are still researching the character of the Lautaro Lodges; if
they were strictly masonic, political lodges or both, but one would tend to
think that they really were both and possessed both aspects because all members
had to be regularly initiated before they were eligible for membership to
Lautaro with a view to political ends and under the Trilogy of Union, Faith, and
Virtue or Victory. No one is certain regarding this trilogy, as documents were
found at variance.
Some historians assuming Virtue, and some Victory. One would be more inclined
to interpret the word Victory, as it may be more in tone with the period and the
circumstances.
As an example, the Oath of membership was:
" We will never recognise the legitimacy of any government of our land if it
is not duly elected by the free and spontaneous will of the people and being the
Republican system the most appropriate to govern the Americas, we will work with
all our efforts to convince the people to adopt it."
It could be argued that Masonic Initiation was simply a formula used by the
Lautarinos to maintain or preserve the secret of the meetings. Personally, I do
not agree with this theory because in the first instance, for them to pass
through the ritual of initiation was absolutely unnecessary, it could have been
much easier to have a simple Oath, and in regards to the masonic signs, tokens
and words, they could have adopted their own, without having to resort to
masonic knowledge.
One thing to remember, is that in this particular period there were many
informal lodges that in Anglo-Saxon Masonry were known as Travelling Lodges. In
South America they were known as Logias Volantes (Flying Lodges) or Ambulatory
Lodges. These lodges were constituted for certain and determined purposes, for
example, on board ships in a foreign land or place.
They were formed by a minimum of three regular masons and their function was
only for the time and transient motive by which they were formed. The Doctrine
of Exclusive Jurisdiction had not been yet established.
This practice is known even today in Latin America and some parts of Europe
as Masonic Triangles, although regulated by special edict from the Grand Master;
they must operate within their own jurisdiction where no other lodge is
operating in the area, for the purpose of working towards the formation of a new
lodge. These Masonic Triangles are stringently controlled by Grand Lodge and are
allowed to operate for strictly limited periods; they must meet at least once a
month, and are inspected by the Grand Master at least once a year.
Having said that, it becomes much easier to understand how the Lautaro Lodges
took hold in the continent in a very short time.
Another point to be considered, specially when one is researching history, is
to be able to set one's mind, not to the present times and conditions, but to
try to live in the period one is researching. It is simpler to understand the
problems facing Freemasonry at that particular time, if one understands the
problems associated with the political and economical situation of the
period.
In these circumstances, lodges needed no regular formation or the standards
of recognition prevalent today, or even the need to be recognised by another
Masonic Body. It would be beneficial to remember that all of America, with the
exception of the United States, was not occupied territory and in such a large
continent with a complete lack of transport and communications, any lodge could
have been formed and dispersed after the purpose of the formation of the lodge
became obsolete.
It is true that in those early days there were no masonic lodges, as we know
them today, because so long as the Spanish Regime lasted, such organisations
were prohibited.
It is quite possible that there were many masons scattered throughout the
different countries and that they met occasionally as masons.
The question is now repeated; were the Lautaro Lodges exclusively political
or exclusively masonic ? I have to let you decide, but let me observe that the
immediate founding of masonic lodges throughout Latin America as soon as the
bonds with Spain had been severed and the immediate disbandment of the Gran
Reunion Americana, a Body created by Francisco de Miranda, with headquaters in
27 Grafton Street, (today under the number 58 Grafton Way, London) and the alma
mater of the Lautarino Lodges in Spain, and the Lautaro Lodges in the South
American Continent, is strongly indicative of their giving place to another
organisation. This is of course in addition to other currents leading to the
formation of masonic Lodges.
The Great Reunion Americana, from where the Lautaro Lodges sprang, was not
necessarily created in a masonic sense. During the Napoleonic Wars, the
Spaniards felt great concern about the end of Spain and their own fate. Many
societies (semi-secret societies) were formed to deliberate and to plan the best
way to defend themselves and the future of their respective provinces.
As the South Americans were not represented, and the Colonies were a big part
of the kingdom as a source of income and of increasing political importance,
they grasped the opportunity to create their own society and formed the Gran
Reunion Americana. I would like to suggest that besides believing in forming a
protective association, they saw the chance that if Spain was going to succumb
to France, then the Americans would be free to choose their own destiny.
General Miranda, the founder of the Society, was the brain of the beginnings
of the South American Revolution against Spain, but he was somewhat theoretical
in his plans and approach; had he been a little more practical, he would have
attained success.
He ran all over Europe in exile from his country and his sword was offered to
half a dozen nations. The certain fact is that he started the most famous
Spanish American revolutionary society that ever existed, although it was not
original, since two years before in 1795, a similar organisation existed in
Madrid, the capital of Spain. It was named Junta de Villas y Provincias (Junta
or Council of Villages and Provinces), but it was soon surpassed by Miranda's
creation in London.
When introduced into Spain, the seat chosen for it was at Cadiz, the chief
commercial centre of Spain in those days; then the name was changed first to
Caballeros Racionales (Rational Gentlemen), next to Sociedad de Lautaro, and
later when transferred to South America, adopted its final and most permanent
name, Logia de Lautaro.
Two Lodges Lautaro under the Grand Lodge of Argentina are working in Buenos
Aires with the number 167, and in the Mendoza Province with the number 368.
There is another under the Grand Lodge of Chile with the number 58 in
Talcahuano and one under the Grand Lodge of Peru working with the number 62 in
Lima's metropolitan area.
Miranda's masonic career is somewhat obscure and with some controversy, but
many scholars will hold that he was initiated in a regular lodge in
Philadelphia, others in Virginia towards the end of 1783, and still others
sustain that he never had the chance to become a mason because of his constant
travelling.
He had many opportunities to become a mason as he was in very good standing
with many public figures who were masons, and made acquaintance with George
Washington, Lafayette, and William Pitt, the English Prime Minister, who perhaps
anticipating war with Spain may have thought that a timely revolution in the
Spanish Colony of South America might not be without its advantages. In actual
fact, it was William Pitt who provided a governmental pension to Miranda when he
became destitute.
In any case, Miranda was the instrument in the creation and propagation of a
whole system of political pseudo-masonry used as a cover for the revolutionary
wars in South America.
The way that prominent men in Latin American politics during the last century
referred to and associated these organisations more or less together with
Freemasonry, suggests that the Lautaro Lodges was simply another name
temporarily adopted by members of masonic lodges to band together for specific
purposes.
It is also quite possible that masons were forced to form societies of a
cultural/philosophical character as a wedge towards the formation or survival of
masonic lodges.
There was a proliferation of Patriotic and Literary Societies where the
themes discussed were the injustice of the Spanish conqueror, of being like
slaves under the tyranny of the Royal Crown, the sovereignty of the people, and
the rights to have its own constitutions and rules. However, the enthusiasm of
the young members leaning towards Jacobism, by alarming the conservative Creoles
determined the dissolution of some of the societies in 1811.
The themes selected for discussion on these societies may seem to be harsh
today without knowing the prevalent conditions in the colony in that particular
period, but let me say that there was a strong movement towards independence
because of the totalitarian and centralist government of the Spanish Crown in
addition to the arrogance of its administrators and the total exclusion of
Creoles from administrative positions of responsibility.
It was seen in the eyes of many historians as the liberal's rejection of the
Church's temporal powers versus the conservative's acceptance of church
authority over all aspects of life.
Another factor was the distinct groups of inhabitants formed due to regional
circumstances, such as;
a) A group formed by intellectual Creoles and the Lower Clergy such as Creole
Clergy and Jesuit Clergy, seeking separation and autonomy.
b) the Spanish authorities, the High Clergy such as highly positioned priests
sent from Spain to minister in the colony, and other privileged people wishing
to preserve the continuity of the regime.
c) and a third group composed of Creoles and Spaniards, businessmen and
industrialists, complaining of the difficulties imposed by the Spanish
administrators and in favour of reforms, but with fear of revolutionary
innovations.
At the top of the social scale were the whites born in the Iberian Peninsula,
who were known as the Peninsulars and were frequently of noble birth and very
proud of their heritage. Because of their arrogance they were strongly detested
by the other social groups.
The Creoles, just below the Peninsulars in the social scale were pure-blooded
whites born in the colonies. Although the law provided for equal privileges with
the Peninsulars, their rights were often denied by the ruling Peninsulars
bringing general friction and animosity.
Then we find what were known as Half-Breeds; Mestizos, a mixture of Whites
and Indians, Mulattos, the mingling of Negro and White blood, and the Zambos,
being part Indian and part Negro.
At the bottom of the scale were the Native Indians, such as the Araucanians
of Chile, Patagonians of Southern Argentina, Guaranies of Paraguay and Brazil,
and of course the descendants of the great civilisations of the Incas, Mayas,
Aztecs, etc. and finally Negroes, who were imported as slaves.
There is another point worthy of investigation, and that is why were the
members of the Lautaro Lodges so strict in maintaining such a high degree of
secrecy?
Could it be proved that by disclosing the existence of the Lodge meant the
death penalty because of the Edict of 1751 by King Ferdinand VI ? To be a Mason
in this period was a "Major Crime" to the Inquisition, but to be a
revolutionary, a lesser crime. There were some penalties such as prison or
exile, but to be a Mason incurred prison, torture, and in most cases death.
Masonic procedures and rituals were adopted and one of the requirements was
to be a "regular" mason before one could be accepted for affiliation. Some
masonic historians sustain that the Lautaro Lodges consisted of a system of five
degrees; the first three degrees in the same regular manner as the symbolic
lodges, in which profanes were initiated, passed, and raised, and two other
degrees distinctly separated from the others and available only for political
purposes, to be conferred only on the very elite, or brethren selected for the
revolutionary cause. In view of that, I would like to suggest that even if the
Lautaro Lodges were politically orientated, their members were regular
masons.
One question that may come to your mind now is, would it have been natural
for these old companions in the struggle for freedom to have continued their
organisation and thus preserve the principles of Freemasonry to be enjoyed by
their children and grandchildren? The answer must be a categorical yes, but if
it was not achieved let us remember that the majority of the most influential
members had to move on with the fortunes of war.
For the masonic researcher, one of the great incentives is the appeal of the
relationship of masonry with government history, and so much of this appeal
comes from South American masonry, especially during the Wars of
Independence.
Many scholars would affirm that masonry was the cause of the revolution
against Spain, but others also believe that the Wars of Independence would not
have been successfully begun, continued, and ended, were it not for the aid of
that body of patriots safeguarded by the secrecy of masonry of the time.
By extensive reading of Spanish documents of the period, a line of thought
reached us from these Spanish documents. In Napoleonic times, the formation of
non-military lodges in Spain were encouraged in an endeavour to reconcile the
Spanish people to an imposed monarch, Joseph Bonaparte. This period however
lasted only until about 1820, after which Freemasonry was prohibited and its
brethren persecuted until after the revolution of 1868.
Spanish Freemasonry at this particular period, and in opposition to the
country's colonial policy, tried to emphasise its mission to foster peace,
nationally and internationally, by stating that "Masonry is a school of
tolerance, peace, brotherhood, and democracy". This longing for tolerance,
freedom and peace no doubt stemmed from Spain's own authoritarian and violent
history.
From this arises the question of whether the revolution was the incidental
result of masonic teachings, or masonry was the organisation used by the leaders
of the movement, because secrecy was necessary for their operations, or for
mutual protection.
Masonic membership was perhaps another evidence in their minds of a man's
reliability and fitness for trust as silence and circumspection had been taught
to him.
If there were some important business to be transacted in the interest of the
colonial army, it was natural that it should be safeguarded by those fraternal
bonds; if a council was necessary, it would be better protected by the privacy
of a military lodge. There was a test of safety in the membership in the order
and the position in the army. One can only wonder, if this concept was also
behind the Irish Military Travelling Lodges.
Another relevant question you may care to ask is what kind of attitude had
the Catholic Church clergy towards the Lautaro Lodges. It was an attitude very
different to the one they held against the regular lodges banned and proscribed
by the Spaniards and the Church of Rome. The Creole clergy (and it must be
stressed that the word Creole in this case does not imply mixed blood, as many
imagine, but was descriptive of those born in the Americas similar to the Sabras
in Israel) was against the power of Spain in the colonies, and of being treated
as inferiors with respect to the clergy in Rome or in the European
Continent.
There were two classes of clergy, the Secular Clergy, who were brought from
Spain for the purposes of religious control and were engaged in preaching,
teaching, and in the administrative duties of the Church, and the Regular
Clergy, or those who lived by the rule of a religious and monastics Order, such
as Jesuits, Franciscan, Dominicans, Carmelitas, Capuchins, etc. and were
generally in charge of the missionary activities.
There was a strong contingent of Jesuit priests among the clergy sent from
Spain in the early stages of the colonisation of the region. In 1613, the Jesuit
College of Cordoba, 800 kilometres north west of Buenos Aires was inaugurated,
later reorganised as the University of Cordoba in 1762. However, later on, they
were expelled from the Spanish realms.
In 1767 the Spanish King Charles III expelled the Jesuits from Spain and
their colonies, as they taught the natives the useful trades and the practice of
agriculture, the Jesuits became rich from the fruits of Indian labour, engaged
in trade, and organised the Indians into military forces to defend themselves
from other Indian tribes, until eventually they were seen as a threat to the
colonial government.
It can be seen from the above that the Jesuits were inclined towards the
Creole clergy to be more independent from Spain.
There were also petty squabbles between the Creoles/Jesuits and the high
clergy, such as the benefit and the obligation to celebrate Baptism with warm
instead of cold water for health reasons.
There was also a breakaway movement in 1813 to constitute an Argentine
National Catholic Church because of the interference of the Spanish Church. The
movement held the premise that if all were equal in the eyes of God, there must
be equality in the eyes of the law. The Creole clergy were sent to small towns
and backward rural areas whilst the Spanish Clergy were in charge of the big
churches and important administrative centres.
Because of these conditions, the local or Creole clergy embraced the cause of
the liberation from Spain, and by association their own liberation.
As a good example, Canon Calvo, a Jesuit Priest, founder of the Grand Lodge
of Costa Rica in 1865, and the first Grand Commander of its Supreme Council 33§,
fought with his church to allow the catholic clergy to become masons. He did not
succeed in his enterprise, but he kept his public association with masonry until
his death without suffering excommunication.
The Lautaro Lodges were named after the Indian Chief Lautaro, who fought
against the Spanish Conquistadors in Chile during the 16th Century and
apparently the name was suggested to Francisco Miranda, the Venezuelan
Revolutionary Leader by O'Higgins, the eminent Chilean, due to his admiration
for Lautaro, the Araucarian Indian.
The first Lautaro Lodge in South America was founded in Buenos Aires in 1812
by General San Martin, the hero of the Argentine War of Independence.
It was said that as the army constituted the armed power of the liberation,
the Lautaro Lodges constituted a very valuable political power. This was the
reason why General San Martin and the Chilean General Bernardo O'Higgins were
especially interested in the creation of new Lautaro Lodges as the liberation
army kept advancing and gaining territory.
The fundamental objective of these lodges was the indoctrination of citizens,
and to study the political and social possibilities of the newly formed nations
and were the siblings of the Gran Reunion Americana.
The relationship of Lautaro Lodges and Masonic Lodges was once described as
"the initiation in the mysteries of Freemasonry was a compulsory requisite
before one could be affiliated to a Lautaro Lodge". So, even if their objectives
were political, their members were masons fighting for the freedom of their
land.
There is no doubt that there existed some kind of connection between South
American Leaders because it must be remembered that the rebellion of all
Spanish-American colonies began at practically the same time, about 1811, and
the names of the "Caudillos" in each country were among those enrolled in the
Grand Reunion Americana or its branches.
At this stage I would like to explain the word "Caudillo", which originated
in the turmoil of the Independence Period, although subsequently the meaning was
extended to include any leader who captured the imagination and support of the
masses and normally used to describe the strong man that brought local order and
stability. A very good example was Juan D. Peron, Caudillo and Ruler of
Argentina from 1945 to 1955.
A very interesting point from the research into the Lautaro Lodges comes from
some parts extracted from its very draconian statutes and handwritten by
Bernardo O'Higgins, the first Wor. Master (President) of this lodge in
Chile.
It prescribed the death penalty for any member betraying the secrets of the
lodge and laid down that no member could make an important official decision
without first consulting his brethren, except in an emergency when he must
report it to them as soon as possible.
It is natural that we should find few records of these lodges; in fact the
wonder is that we find so many. Vicuna Mackena, a very well known Chilean
historian has been able to publish a copy of the Constitutions and By-Laws of
the Lautaro Lodges, and in its condensed form, reads like this:
"The mother lodge is to be composed of 13 Caballeros (Gentlemen) aside from
the President, two secretaries; one for South America and one for North America"
(no doubt referring to Southern and Northern parts of South America),"an Orator,
and a Master of Ceremonies. The number cannot be increased. No Spaniard or
foreigner can be admitted and no more than one ecclesiastic".
"Whenever a brother is made Governor or Magistrate in a section of the
country, he shall assist in forming a subordinate lodge".
"When one of the brothers is elected Supreme Governor, he shall plan nothing
of grave importance without having consulted the Lodge".
"The objects of the institution are to assist and protect each other in the
conflict of civilian life and to support the opinion of others, but when it is
opposed to the public, they should nevertheless preserve silence".
"Every brother should support, at the risk of his life, the determination of
the Lodge".
"Two thirds constitute a quorum. A brother who by word or sign reveals the
secret of the existence of the lodge shall be put to death by the means most
convenient."
It will be seen that there is no mention of any connection with the masonic
order, and no stipulation that the members must be Freemasons, but it is quite
possible that these By-Laws were found incomplete, or for the exclusive use of
the members of the two top degrees, the 4th and 5th.
The lodge provided for five degrees or grades; the first three were identical
to those as exemplified in the "Scottish Rite", constituted as the "Blue
Chamber" and they were so rendered as a probation of the candidate in order to
impress on him the habit of keeping secrets and developing discipline and
solidarity.
The proper degrees of the lodge were the upper two, given as Rose Croix and
Kadosh, which made a superior "Red Chamber". In the fourth degree, the
obligation was very plain; the member swore, by all means, to defend the
independence of the Spanish Colonies; and in the most secret fifth and last
degree known as "Grand Lodge of Buenos Aires", a democratic credo was exposed,
the member taking the oath of never accepting as a legal government any one that
was not the resultant of popular election, and this to be de facto and de jure
republican.
Maybe this was the reason behind Simon Bolivar, the Liberator, when he tried
to banish the Craft in Northern South America when he was in power, to become a
dictator. A decree was issued on 8th November 1828 prohibiting all secret
societies in Grand Colombia including Freemasonry.
It does not necessarily mean that the ban applied and was directed against
Freemasonry in particular, as there were other plots against Bolivar at the
time, but using it as a tool for the researcher, it clearly shows that
Freemasonry was firmly entrenched with a very extensive and great influence,
otherwise Bolivar would not have been concerned. It can also be argued that the
political situation in Colombia at the time, and a strong state of fanaticism
and religious prejudice would have raised objections and censure against
Bolivar's leadership, or it could have been for the sake of expediency in
maintaining peace.
The attitude of Bolivar towards the Craft, was the key of the failure of the
Lautaro Lodges in Venezuela and Colombia.
General Simon Bolivar, in charge of spreading the Lautaro Lodges in his own
country, failed to attain this, and had to content himself with starting the
Sociedad Patriotica (Patriotic Society), an almost public revolutionary society,
of course inefficient and having a very short life.
In contrast, the Lautaro Lodge in Chile effectively governed the country for
three years leading to the creation of the Chilean-Argentinian army to liberate
Peru, but when the main members left with the army in 1820, the lodge influence
declined severely and virtually died out.
That General Simon Bolivar was a Mason had been proved beyond doubt, but it
remains to be seen if Bolivar was greatly influenced by Masonry in his
revolutionary endeavours, as many scholars believe. The common denominator of
most revolutionary leaders fighting against Spain in South America was that they
were Spanish Army Officers born in the Americas, acquired liberal ideas in
Europe, perhaps from Miranda and his Great American Reunion Society, and had a
deep admiration for Napoleon's military genius and his early republican
principles.
However, those principles were compromised on 18th May, 1808 when France
under Napoleon adopted an Imperial Constitution leading to an Imperial Crown,
similar in many ways to the Spanish Crown, aggravated with the invasion of Spain
and forcing King Ferdinand VII to abdicate in favour of Napoleon's brother,
Joseph Bonaparte.
The revolutionary seed was perhaps planted, at least as far as Bolivar is
concerned, by the German philosopher, Baron Alexander Von Humboldt, who in
meeting Bolivar in Paris, after returning from a journey to South America,
intimated that in his opinion, Venezuela appeared to be ready for emancipation
provided the right leaders could be found. There was also no doubt that
Freemasonry played a great part in the revolutionary wars of independence and
the value of its influence, but it was not necessarily the main force behind the
leaders.
The early 1820s was a period of great turmoil in politics and by association,
the struggle for freedom and the increase in pseudo-masonic activities.
In 1821, a group of Spanish Constitutionalists, a term applicable to the
Non-Royalists, arrived in Buenos Aires to form Lodge Aurora and Lodge Liberty
warranted by the Grand Orient of Spain.
In December 1824, General Valero arrived in Peru from Grand Colombia as
Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33§ to regularise, establish and create
Capitular and Symbolic Lodges.
The Grand Orient of Colombia or Neo Granadino was then obviously well
established and structured, as to achieve an organisation so powerful requires
many years of hard work and skills, in a time in which communications were
rather primitive.
He accomplished the task by founding in 1826 the Rose Croix Chapter
"Regeneracion Peruana", helped by a Chilean Brother, Vicente Tur, 29§.
In 1825, suggesting that there was a connection between lodges General Valero
blockaded the port of El Callao, seat of the Northern Spanish Administration,
while General Blanco Encalada, possibly a member of Lautaro Lodge in Chile,
blockaded the Port by sea until Callao finally surrendered in January, 1826.
Blanco Encalada was a very distinguished military man with a career in the
Army and the Navy, held public office, and was a mason of the 18§. He was born
in Argentina of a Spanish father and a Chilean mother. He was elected first
President of the Republic of Chile in July 1826 but resigned two months later
due to lack of support from the Parliament. Shortly after, in 1827, he founded
the Symbolic Lodge Filantropia Chilena, chartered by the Grand Orient of
Colombia and Rose Croix Chapter Regeneracion Peruana.
These properly documented facts show that in 1824 there existed a very strong
and close masonic connection in all South American countries fighting for
independence, and an organisation capable of commissioning the creation of
chapters and lodges in territory not occupied.
We have to remember that Grand Orients were different from what they are
today, in so far as they were organisations that controlled both Supreme
Councils and Symbolic Lodges.
In 1835, a group of American nationals organised in Argentina Lodge Estrella
del Sur with a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. This was the Lodge
to which Bernardino Rivadavia, the first President of Argentina was to become a
member. Incidentally, this Lodge continued to work until the persecution by the
dictator, General Juan Manuel de Rosas. It was a bloody regime and the surviving
members migrated to Uruguay to form the Lodge Asilo de la Virtud, also under the
jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
During these oppressive years, numerous lodges were still founded under the
generic name of Logias Unitarias, because the members of those lodges were
united in their opposition to the Rosas tyranny. Some of those lodges are still
operating today, e.g. San Juan de la Frontera, Constante Union, and Jorge
Washington in various provinces of the country.
Masonry after General Rosas
Rosas was such a controversial figure, that even today he dominates
Argentina's historiography in a manner that admits little chance for
dispassionate historical analysis. Eventually Rosas was deposed in the Battle of
Caseros by a mason, General Urquiza in 1852; by 1853, the United Grand Lodge of
England managed to charter Excelsior Lodge No 617 and several of the earlier
Spanish-speaking lodges were revived about this time - Lodge Concordia in 1853,
Constancia in 1855, Union del Plata in the same year, and Confraternidad
Argentina in 1856.
These lodges were warranted by the Grand Orients of Brazil and Uruguay. There
was also a French Lodge by the name "Amie des Naufrages", sponsored by the Grand
Orient of France and its membership composed almost entirely of French
nationals. Years later more French Lodges were formed -"Amis de la Verite", and
"Humanite Fraternite". There were also Italian Lodges founded by Italian
immigrants - "Lodge Italia", "Union Italiana", "Roma", "Sette Colli" and
"Leonardo da Vinci".
On 11th December, 1857, seven of the existing lodges meeting in Buenos Aires
and most holding warrants from the Grand Lodge of Uruguay formed a sovereign
Grand Lodge in Argentina. The Lodges were Union del Plata, Confraternidad
Argentina, Consuelo del Infortunio, Tolerancia, Regeneracion, Lealtad, and
Constancia, electing Dr. Jose Roque Perez as its first Grand Master. At this
stage a Supreme Council was erected, also sponsored from Uruguay.
In 1860, the U.G.Lodge of England entered into a Treaty of Amity with the
Grand Lodge of Argentina, similar to the one promulgated with the Grand Orient
of Brazil. In return for perpetual English recognition, Argentina gave England
the right to warrant and maintain English-speaking lodges in its
jurisdiction.
In 1904, there were 190 Lodges working under three main Bodies, The Grand
Orient of the Blue Rite, The Grand Orient of Argentine Rite and the Grand Orient
of the Confederated Rite.
In 1935, another Scottish Rite Supreme Council was formed, called Federal
Argentino. This body claimed control over the Craft degrees, and developed Craft
Lodges. It suffices to say that this Body was completely irregular, using the
ritual of the Grand Orient of France, which excludes the V.S.L. and the omission
of the G.A.O.T.U. from its rituals, and, by becoming a refuge for every exiled
Spanish Mason, it provided a forum for political and anti-clerical subjects.
Those exiled masons were escaping from the dictatorship of General Franco, and
his banning of Freemasonry in Spain, penalised with a minimum term in prison of
12 years and one day.
In 1957, the Grand Lodge of Argentina merged with this Federal Argentino
Supreme Council, thus forming one Sovereign Grand Lodge for the whole of the
country. The French Ritual was adopted with the inclusion of the use of the
V.S.L. and the references to the G.A.O.T.U.. The Grand Master of the new
amalgamated body was Agustin Jorge Alvarez, a Past Grand Master of the Federal
Argentino irregular body and the son of Agustin Enrique Alvarez, a Past Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of Argentina during 1905-1906.
At its Centenary, by the end of 1957, the Grand Lodge of Argentina held under
its jurisdiction over 400 lodges and about 60,000 members. The Fraternity was
very strong and powerful.
From its beginning up to 1957, fourteen members of its Lodges had the honour
of occupying the Chair of President of the Nation, many masons were involved in
the Draft of the National Constitutions of 1853, which with slight alterations
are still in force, and its members were involved in many of the democratic
reforms and important initiatives such as the organisation of the Masonic
Commission to help the victims of the cholera epidemic in 1868, and of the
yellow fever in 1871 and the huge relief donation towards the reparation of the
damages caused by the earthquake in the Province of Mendoza, in the Andean
foothills.
During the internal armed conflicts of 1874 and 1880, where many lives were
lost, they organised a Masonic Body of "Help to the Wounded", which later was to
became the Argentinian Red Cross. The Grand Lodge initiated the first Public
Libraries, the first School of Arts in the country, the Rural Society, the first
Centre for Indigent Persons, founded several hospitals including the Children's
Hospital, an association for the protection of animals based on the same
principles as the R.S.P.C.A., and a large Home for Orphans.
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