Every February 20th, Argentina commemorates another anniversary of the Battle of Salta, one of the most significant victories of the Army of the North during the War of Independence. This year marks 213 years since that decisive day in 1813, when the patriotic forces, under the command of then-General Manuel Belgrano, consolidated the path toward definitive emancipation from royalist rule.

After the historic victory in Tucumán, Belgrano led the Army of the North to Salta with the aim of halting the advance of Spanish troops from Upper Peru. On February 20th, 1813, after a military strategy that included an encircling movement and taking advantage of the terrain, the patriotic forces managed to defeat the royalist army commanded by Pío Tristán.

The victory was resounding: more than 3,000 royalist soldiers were taken prisoner and a significant amount of weapons and resources were seized.

The Battle of Salta not only had an immediate military impact, but also strengthened the revolutionary cause in the north of the territory and reaffirmed the determination to build a free and sovereign nation. The triumph consolidated Belgrano's leadership and gave new impetus to the independence process that began in 1810.

213 years after that glorious day, Argentina remembers the courage, conviction, and spirit of unity of those who fought for freedom, and reaffirms its commitment to the ideals that forged the destiny of the nation on Salta soil.