Mateo de Toro Zambrano, 1st Count of La Conquista

Field Marshal Mateo de Toro Zambrano y Ureta (Spanish: Mateo de Toro Zambrano y Ureta, I conde de la Conquista) (September 20, 1727 – February 26, 1811), frequently misnamed Mateo de Toro y Zambrano in many Chilean history publications, was Viscount of La Descubierta and later Count of La Conquista (1771) and Knight of the Spanish Order of Santiago. He was a Chilean creole and had a career as a soldier under the Spanish Empire after he amassed a fortune in commerce.

Arms of Toro Zambrano

Don Mateo de Toro Zambrano Conde de la Conquista Caballero de Santiago
Royal Governor of Chile
In office July 16, 1810 – September 18, 1810
Monarch	Ferdinand VII
Preceded by	Francisco García Carrasco
Succeeded by	Mariano Osorio
Personal details
Born	(1727-09-20)20 September 1727 Santiago, Chile
Died	26 February 1811(1811-02-26) (aged 83) Santiago, Chile
Spouse(s)	María Nicolasa de Valdés
Children	José María, Gregorio José, María Josefa, José Joaquín, Domingo José, María Mercedes, Mariana, María Inés, María de los Dolores, María del Rosario Josefa
Profession	Field Marshal

In 1810, as the most senior military figure in the Captaincy General of Chile, as well as its Royal Governor, he called a meeting of leading citizens on September 18, 1810. This group would subsequently elect the governing junta similar to those appearing throughout the rebelling Spanish colonies, an action which is generally seen as the first step in Chilean independence process. He was voted the President of this First Government Junta, but his death a year later (he was already 83 years old) precluded him from taking a larger role in the independence of Chile. He died in Santiago de Chile on February 26, 1811.