In this difficult situation Carrera decided to cross to native-controlled lands all the way to Chile to once and for all overthrow Chilean Supreme Director O'Higgins.

His passage to Chile, which was his ultimate goal, was opposed by Argentine politicians and he engaged together with indigenous tribes, among them the Ranquel, in a campaign against the southern provinces of Argentina.

He fought against the Napoleonic forces, obtaining the rank of Sergeant Major and receiving the command of the Húsares de Galicia regiment.

On 15 November 1811 the Carreras made a coup d'état and José Miguel became the sole ruler of Chile (his brothers were military commanders).

It was settled to make it at the Angostura de Paine, a gorge that formed an easily defended bottleneck, which seemed to be the most logical plan considering that the local forces were outnumbered.

He and his forces were promptly surrounded, and after an entire day of fighting, the Spanish commander Mariano Osorio was victorious in the Disaster of Rancagua, (1–2 October 1814).

After committing acts of vandalism José Miguel and his brothers were arrested and sent to Buenos Aires, where Carlos María de Alvear, a friend of Carrera since the war against Napoleon in Spain, had just been proclaimed national hero.

But after Alvear was overthrown, power was taken by members of the Lautaro Lodge,[citation needed] forcing Carrera to leave Buenos Aires for the United States.

With the help of Commodore David Porter, and by sheer force of personality, José Miguel Carrera managed to obtain—on credit—four ships with American crews for the Chilean independence enterprise.

[3] However, as he arrived in Buenos Aires with this fleet, the pro-San Martin Argentine government confiscated the ships and put Carrera in prison.

Carrera received help from the United States' envoy who came with him, Joel Roberts Poinsett, and was able to escape from San Martin's forces,[clarification needed] taking refuge in Montevideo under the protection of Brazilian General Carlos Frederico Lecor.

While in Montevideo, his brothers Juan José and Luís plotted against O'Higgins, because of his having betrayed the Carreras to San Martin and the Lautaro Lodge.

They were arrested in Mendoza and executed by the command of Bernardo de Monteagudo,[citation needed] after the Royalists defeated San Martin and O'Higgins at the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada.

Later, following his trip to the US, and in his attempt to return to Chile, from Argentina, he and his men fought the Argentine in a series or armed confrontations and battles some of which were particularly cruel and bloody.

The series include 6 related movies about Chilean Founding Fathers and Heroes, and in it, José Miguel Carrera was portrayed by Diego Casanueva.