National Latin American Freedom Day in Argentina

National Latin American Freedom Day, in commemoration of the death of General Martín Miguel de Güemes, a key figure of independence.

Today we remember Martín Miguel de Güemes, a military man from Salta who played a central role at the head of the militias that defended the north of country in the wars for Argentina independence. His actions, in coordination with those of General José de San Martín, facilitated the crossing of the Andes to successfully develop the liberation campaign.

Martín Miguel de Güemes commanded the Salta rural militias, articulated with the guerrillas operating in Upper Peru, and played a leading role in the government's strategy to contain the royalist advance towards Tucumán and to focus his efforts on the organization of the Army of the Andes to carry out the campaign to Chile and Peru.

Güemes promoted the voluntary and generalized mobilization of wide rural sectors with the assignment of new rights, which gave rise to an agrarian-based social movement on which he based his growing power. Under the name of "gauchos", the militiamen and volunteers who fought alongside the General from Salta waged a war against the royalist advances.

During the six years of his term as governor, he continued to confront not only the Spanish troops, in a bloody and prolonged guerrilla war, but also the Salta elite itself, which ended up wearing down his power at the head of the government and hastened his death, on June 17, 1821.