He was born on May 7th of 1786 in Petorca (Region of Valparaiso). His parents were Francisco Bueras de la Maza, a farmer of the zone, and Josefa Avaria. At the age of twelve, he was enrolled in the Seminario del Santo Angel de la Guarda school, in Santiago.
Later, in 1802, he entered to the Real Universidad de San Felipe, but only remained there for a year, because he had to manage his father’s farm.
In September 18th of 1810, in a business trip that he had to do in the capital, he found out about the meeting in which the first national government was formed. This fact marked him deeply, reason why he decided to enter the battalion of Granaderos (December 2nd of 1810) and soon after he started to participate in the battles of the Old Nation.
After the disaster of Rancagua, he sheltered himself in Mendoza, where he accepted the mission that Jose de San Martin had entrusted him: secretly travel to Chile and organize a guerilla in Aconcagua (1816). However, he was apprehended and taken to Valparaiso, where he was kept as a prisoner in the frigate Victoria, while he was waiting to be taken, along with other prisoners, to the Juan Fernandez island. But, after learning about the triumph of Chacabuco (February 12th of 1817), he was set free. In December of that year, he was incorporated to the Major State of the commander in chief, Bernardo O’Higgins.
On March 19th of 1819 the disaster of Cancha Rayada came to pass, where he saved the life of O’Higgins. Later, in the battle of Maipu (April 5th) he became part of the cazadores a caballo, commanded by Ramon Freire and in one of the many fights that he starred in, he was reached by an enemy bullet, dying after a couple of minutes.
