“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

ordered.” 211 Gándara complained that “there is no plausible reason for the delay.”
Gándara’s alarm was well justified. With fraud allegations pending against him in front of a
blanco judge, Bica appeared to be using his political connections with the juez de paz to flee.
Gándara wrote to Real, stating that the juez de paz “had no interest in pursuing the Dispatch
from this tribunal before [Bica’s] evasion to the neighboring province of Corrientes.” 212
During the month-long delay, Bica in fact had shifted most of his fungible assets
across the border into Corrientes and out of the Salto court’s jurisdiction. Still determined,
Gándara traveled to Paysandú. He requested that the judge there embargo Bica’s remaining
goods to cover his commercial debts. In Paysandú, Gándara again pointed to Bica’s
reputation. He noted that “the respondent does not have well-known roots here” and “his
notorious bad faith makes it likely he will abscond with additional goods.” 213 In short, Bica
was an outsider: the opposite of an honorable vecino. He could not be trusted to respect the
court’s jurisdiction, his creditors’ rights or his commercial obligations. The court in
Paysandú issued a contempt order against Bica. Back in Salto, Real issued a similar demand
against Bica and the juez de paz. 214 By then, Bica had crossed into to Corrientes.
Bica had escaped, but at the cost of much of his property in the Estado Oriental.
Gándara seized possession on behalf of several creditors of Bica’s substantial
landholdings. 215 Bica’s commercial operations in the Estado Oriental were crippled. This
posed a problem not only for his personal economic situation, but also for that of his
factional and familial allies in Alegrete. Recall again that the Ribeiros were engaged in a
prolonged battle with Canabarro over political control of the Brazilian borderlands. Each
211 Ibid., 6bis.
212 Ibid.
213 Ibid., 8-8bis.
214 Ibid., 10.
215 Ibid.
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