- Loss of representative government: Under the intendancy system, the authority of the Spanish Crown was increased and the power of the local cabildos (town councils) was reduced, which limited the participation of the colonists in the government of their local communities.
- Increased taxation: The intendancy system imposed new taxes and increased the collection of existing ones, straining the colonists' finances.
- Restrictions on trade: Intendants had control over trade and could issue permits, restrict certain types of trade, and impose tolls, which limited the economic opportunities of merchants and traders.
- Cultural and linguistic differences: Most of the intendants sent from Spain did not speak Spanish and were unfamiliar with local customs, which led to communication difficulties and misunderstandings between the colonists and the intendants.
- Power concentrated in the hands of the intendants: The intendants were invested with significant administrative, judicial, and military powers. This concentration of power in a single individual raised concerns about accountability and potential abuse of authority.
- Loss of local autonomy: The appointment of intendants meant the loss of local control over many aspects of governance previously managed by local cabildos, diminishing the autonomy that the colonists had enjoyed.