æt ðə stˈɑːɹt ʌv wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪt, ðə kˈæptɪnsi dʒˈɛnɚɹəl ʌv tʃˈɪli—wˈʌn ʌvðə smˈɔːlɪst ænd pˈʊɹɹɪst kˈɑːləniz ɪnðə spˈænɪʃ ˈɛmpaɪɚ—wʌz ˌʌndɚ ðɪ ɐdmˌɪnɪstɹˈeɪʃən ʌv lˈuːɪs mjˈuːnjɑːz də ɡʌzmˈɑːn, ɐn ˈeɪbəl, ɹᵻspˈɛktᵻd ænd wˈɛllˈaɪkt ɹˈɔɪəl ɡˈʌvɚnɚ.
At the start of 1808, the Captaincy General of Chile—one of the smallest and poorest colonies in the Spanish Empire—was under the administration of Luis Muñoz de Guzmán, an able, respected and well-liked Royal Governor.