The objective of the article is to analyze the complexity of the policies of establishment of villas, in relation to power and economic interests of the Río de la Plata port complex as a part of the Hispanic Monarchy. For it, we have reconstructed the unfruitful attempts of foundation made by two viceroys in the Río de la Plata, the Marquesses of Avilés and Sobremonte in the hinterland of Buenos Aires during the first years of century XIX. We also analyzed the reactions generated by the merchants of Montevideo, the 'cabildo' of Buenos Aires, and other politic actors, in defense of their respective privileges and economic interests. In both cases we used diverse sources ('memoria' of the viceroy; 'juicio de residencia'; newspapers). We argue that the relations that sustained to the policies of conformation of villas were included in greater crossroads of power of the Hispanic Monarchy, although they had their own characteristics in each jurisdiction. The characteristics of the political and economic relations between authorities, corporations, groups and people made difficult, to a great extent, the concretion of these establishments in a context of transformations as it was the Río de la Plata at the beginning of century XIX.