The outbreak of the Peninsular War in Spain and the capture of the Spanish king Ferdinand VII generated a political crisis in the Spanish colonies in the Americas.
The first project to maintain the monarchy was the short-lived Carlotism, which sought to crown Carlota Joaquina as regent.
This project was supported by criollos like Manuel Belgrano and Juan José Castelli, but whether Saavedra supported it is disputed.
The Carlotism was abandoned soon afterwards, and the people sought other projects.

Francisco Javier de Elío established a government Junta in Montevideo, similar to the ones established in Spain, and his ally in Buenos Aires, Martín de Álzaga, sought to do a similar thing.
The Mutiny of Álzaga took place on January 1, 1809.
He accused Liniers of trying to appoint loyal members to the Cabildo, and gathered a small demonstration to request his resignation.
The rebels, backed by some peninsular militias, occupied the Plaza.
Liniers was about to resign, to prevent further conflicts.

Cornelio Saavedra, who was aware of the conspiracy, considered it a plot by peninsulars to secure political power over the criollo peoples.
He marched with the Regiment of Patricians swiftly to the Plaza, and thwarted the mutiny.
There was no violence in the operation, as the criollos forced the rebels to give up just by the sheer force of numbers.
Thus, Liniers stayed in office as viceroy.
All the heads of the mutiny were sentenced to prison at Carmen de Patagones, and the militias that took part in it were dissolved.
The only peninsular militias remaining were those of Andaluces and Montañeses, who did not join the mutiny; criollos obtained the military command, and the political power of Saavedra increased even more.

A few months later, the Junta of Seville appointed a new Viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros.
Some patriots proposed a self-coup to keep Liniers in power and resist the new viceroy, but Saavedra and Liniers himself did not accept it and the transition was performed without problems.
Although Saavedra supported the plans of the criollos to seize power, he warned about taking rushed measures, considering that the ideal time to do so would be when the Napoleonic forces achieved a decisive advantage in the Spanish conflict.
Until then, he forced the other revolutionaries to stay quiet by denying the help of his regiment.
His usual quote was "Peasants and gentlemen, it is not yet time – let the figs ripen, and then we'll eat them."
Although he was sometimes suspected of sympathy for Cisneros for his reluctance to take action against him, he maintained his strategy.
Saavedra's political moderation may have been influenced by his previous career in the Cabildo.
The outbreak of the Peninsular War in Spain and the capture of the Spanish king Ferdinand VII generated a political crisis in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. The first project to maintain the monarchy was the short-lived Carlotism, which sought to crown Carlota Joaquina as regent. This project was supported by criollos like Manuel Belgrano and Juan José Castelli, but whether Saavedra supported it is disputed. The Carlotism was abandoned soon afterwards, and the people sought other projects.
Francisco Javier de Elío established a government Junta in Montevideo, similar to the ones established in Spain, and his ally in Buenos Aires, Martín de Álzaga, sought to do a similar thing. The Mutiny of Álzaga took place on January 1, 1809. He accused Liniers of trying to appoint loyal members to the Cabildo, and gathered a small demonstration to request his resignation. The rebels, backed by some peninsular militias, occupied the Plaza. Liniers was about to resign, to prevent further conflicts.
Cornelio Saavedra, who was aware of the conspiracy, considered it a plot by peninsulars to secure political power over the criollo peoples. He marched with the Regiment of Patricians swiftly to the Plaza, and thwarted the mutiny. There was no violence in the operation, as the criollos forced the rebels to give up just by the sheer force of numbers. Thus, Liniers stayed in office as viceroy. All the heads of the mutiny were sentenced to prison at Carmen de Patagones, and the militias that took part in it were dissolved. The only peninsular militias remaining were those of Andaluces and Montañeses, who did not join the mutiny; criollos obtained the military command, and the political power of Saavedra increased even more.
A few months later, the Junta of Seville appointed a new Viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros. Some patriots proposed a self-coup to keep Liniers in power and resist the new viceroy, but Saavedra and Liniers himself did not accept it and the transition was performed without problems. Although Saavedra supported the plans of the criollos to seize power, he warned about taking rushed measures, considering that the ideal time to do so would be when the Napoleonic forces achieved a decisive advantage in the Spanish conflict. Until then, he forced the other revolutionaries to stay quiet by denying the help of his regiment. His usual quote was "Peasants and gentlemen, it is not yet time – let the figs ripen, and then we'll eat them." Although he was sometimes suspected of sympathy for Cisneros for his reluctance to take action against him, he maintained his strategy. Saavedra's political moderation may have been influenced by his previous career in the Cabildo.
Cornelio Saavedra