Güemes: the soldier who died facing the elites

June 17 marks the anniversary of the death of Martín Miguel de Güemes, a hero who gave his life to the service of the Homeland battling against the concentration of wealth.

Martín Miguel de Güemes was born on February 8, 1785 and died on June 17, 1821, both dates in Salta, a province of which he would later become Governor in 1815. He was the son of a Crown official, which quickly led him to pursue his military career since he was a child.¹ However, his privileged origins did not cloud his humanity: from a young age he began to defend the ideas of the most vulnerable sectors.²

At the age of 21 he fought in the English Invasions (1806-1807) under the command of Juan Martín de Pueyrredón, and then the Revolution of May 1810 involved him in such a way that he stood out for his tactical role in the battle of Suipacha, enabling the entry of the Auxiliary Army of Peru (commanded by General Antonio González Balcarce) to Potosí, achieving the first victory of the Revolution.³ His performance was highly valued by figures such as General San Martin y Manuel Belgrano.⁴

A fighter for justice

In addition to fighting against the English and Spanish, Güemes also battled against the national eliteswho were responsible for removing him from his position as Governor of Salta on behalf of a »Trade revolution» in 1821.

This opposition was due to the fact that Martín Miguel altered the social order that comfortably kept Salteño landowners in positions of privilege, adding to his defense of equal rights between Creoles, mestizos and gauchos, a defense shared by many of the heroes who made up the Open Council. This, together with the counterrevolutionary ideas of the elites and the lack of resources, created a breeding ground for his dismissal.

Finally Martín Miguel de Güemes passed away in 1821 before the shots of the Spanish royalist forces, which led him to be the only Argentine general to die in combat. His body was carried by the army of gauchos never to be forgotten by those who dreamed and still dream of a sovereign and egalitarian Homeland.

1. A journey through the life of Martín Miguel de Güemes | CADIC ↩︎
2. Güemes: from aristocrat to gaucho, he was the only Argentine general who died in combat | Profile ↩︎
3. Suipacha, the first patriot victory – El Historiador ↩︎
4. Martín Miguel de Güemes – The Historian ↩︎