Every June 17th, Argentina commemorates the passing into immortality of General Martín Miguel de Güemes, one of the great heroes of independence. 204 years after his death, his legacy continues to be a symbol of courage, commitment and defense of national sovereignty.
Born on February 8, 1785 in Salta, from a very young age Güemes showed a strong military vocation. At the age of 14 he joined the 3rd Battalion of the Fixed Infantry Regiment of Buenos Aires as a cadet and actively participated in the English Invasions of 1806 and 1807. His combat experience soon positioned him as a key military officer for the independence process.
With the beginning of the wars for independence, Güemes adopted an original approach: he organized the gauchos of northern Argentina in a guerrilla war, known as the Gaucho War, which succeeded in stopping six royalist invasions. This form of territorial resistance protected the rearguard of the liberation campaigns of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar.
In 1815, the Cabildo of Salta appointed him Governor of the Intendencia de Salta, which also included the current territories of Jujuy and Tarija. Without external support, he led a fierce defense against the royalist power, while consolidating the identity of northern Argentina as a libertarian bastion. In recognition of his courage, San Martín promoted him to General in Chief of the Army of Observation over Peru in 1820.
On June 7, 1821, a royalist offensive under the command of Colonel José María “Barbarucho” Valdez, supported by local opposition sectors, surprised him in Salta. A bullet in his back left him seriously wounded. After ten days of agony, he died on June 17, 1821, at the age of 36. His army, Los Infernales, resisted and guaranteed the continuity of the emancipation project.
In 1999, the National Congress passed Law Nº 25.172, which established June 17 as the National Day of Latin American Freedom, in homage to his deed. Later, in 2006, Law Nº 26.125 officially consecrated him as a National Hero.
Güemes embodied a strategic vision of freedom: he knew how to articulate local power with the regional project of independence. His story is that of a leader committed to his people, who understood that without the defense of the north there would be no possible homeland.
Güemes' legacy is not only measured in military victories, but also in his capacity to resist with scarce resources and to unite diverse causes in the same objective: the freedom of America. His life reminds us that independence was not the work of isolated figures, but of networks, alliances and entire peoples who fought for their dignity.
Today, in every corner of the country, his name is associated with strategy, courage and patriotic commitment. We highlight his legacy and the importance of his struggle in the shaping of the nation.
Glory and honor to Martín Miguel de Güemes!
