 On July 19, 1808, Azcárate, along with councilman Francisco Primo de Verdad y Ramos presented a plan to form a provisional, autonomous government of New Spain, with the current viceroy, José de Iturrigaray, at its head.The justification for this was that the mother country was now occupied by foreign troops, and the royal family was being held prisoner.The plan was accepted by the viceroy and the Cabildo (city council), but not by the Audiencia.