Juan Ruiz de Apodaca (hwän rōōēth´ dā äpōŧħä´kä), 1754–1835, Spanish viceroy and military leader. He was sent to London by the Central Junta of Seville to gain English support against Napoleon. After service as governor of Cuba (1812–15), Apodaca, as viceroy of New Spain (1816–21), devoted himself to repressing revolutionary movements. The royalist cause was at first successful, but with the defection of the royalist commander Iturbide it failed. Feeling that Apodaca was not making sufficient effort to put down the revolution, a group in Mexico City, headed by the Masons, forced him to surrender his authority. He returned (1821) to Spain where he held various offices. He had the title visconde de Venadito.

Juan Ruiz de Apodaca: see Apodaca, Juan Ruiz de.