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Front: Bartolomé Mitre (1821-1906), author, statesman and military figure. He was President of Argentina 1862-1868.

Due to his opposition to Juan Manuel de Rosas, he was forced into exile where worked as a soldier and journalist in Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. Mitre returned to Argentina after the defeat of Rosas. He was a leader of the revolt of Buenos Aires against Justo José de Urquiza's federal system, and was appointed to important posts in the provincial government after Buenos Aires seceded from the confederation. Urquiza defeated mitre in the civil war of 1859, and Buenos Aires reentered the Argentine confederation. In October 1862, Mitre was elected president of the republic, leading to a period of internal progress and reform.

Mitre was also the founder of La Nación, one of South America's leading newspapers. On his passing in 1906, he was interred in La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires.

Back: Mitre Museum in Buenos Aires

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Front: José Francisco de San Martín (1778-1850), liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru

San Martín was born in Argentina, then a Spanish colony. His father was a Spanish official. He was educated at the military academy in Madrid, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1793, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1808. He fought with the Spanish army against Portugal, in the African colonies, and against the invasion by Napoleon I's forces. In 1812 he resigned from the Spanish army and sailed home to Argentina, where he offered his services to the revolutionary forces.

San Martín led the rebels against the Spanish forces under General José Zavala at the Battle of San Lorenzo on 3 February 1813, which became the first victory of the Argentine War of Independence. He was given the rank of General by the revolutionary government. The following year he took command of the northern army preparing a new invasion of Upper Perú (now Bolivia), a command he resigned to become governor of the province of Cuyo (now the provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, and San Luis), from where he crossed the Andes and attacked the Royalists in Chile at the beginning of 1817. With Bernardo O'Higgins, he made a triumphant entry into the liberated city of Santiago de Chile on 17 March 1818.

Next, San Martín turned his attention to the Spanish stronghold of Peru. For more than two years he prepared an invasion by sea. After months of slow advances, he won a decisive victory at the Battle of Pisco on 6 December 1820. San Martín occupied Lima, the capital of Peru, on 9 July 1821. This was a huge loss for the Spanish forces. On 28 July he was voted the "Protector" of the newly independent nation. San Martín finally declared independence from Spain for Peru on 9 December 1824. After Peru's parliament had been assembled, he resigned his command.

In 1824, after the death of his wife, Remedios de Escalada, he moved to France with his daughter Mercedes, where he spent the remainder of his days retired at Boulogne-sur-Mer. In 1880 his remains were taken to Buenos Aires and reinterred in the Buenos Aires Cathedral.

Back: Monument to the Glory of Mendoza

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Front: Manuel Belgrano (1770-1820), lawyer, politician, and military leader.

Belgrano was appointed general by the first autonomous government of Argentina. In 1812, he created the national flag of Argentina. It was raised for the first time on February 27 of that year, in an island in the Paraná River, right opposite the city of Rosario. He also led the Jujuy Exodus, which prepared the ground for victories of the Argentine War of Independence in the northwest of the country.

Belgrano was one of the leaders of the Argentine Declaration of Independence. He proposed that Argentina should have a constitutional monarchy led by an Inca descendent, but this idea did not gain support.

Belgrano's health suffered greatly during his multiple expeditions and campaigns, held in generally bad conditions. At the age of 50 he died of dropsy, very poor and practically forgotten by the national government that he had served.

Back: Monument to the Flag of Rosario

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Front: Juan Manuel de Rosas (1793-1877), governor of Buenos Aires province 1829-1832 and 1835-1852

Rosas began his career as a cattle ranger. He built his fortune through large-scale ranching. As a full-fledged caudillo (warlord), he began his political career in 1820 by leading a force of gauchos (cowboys) in support of the conservatives and federalism. He became governor of Buenos Aires in 1829 with dictatorial powers. He surrendered office in 1832, and went on to wage a successful expedition against the indigenous peoples. In 1835, Rosas again became governor, and extended his power throughout most of Argentina. He was a ruthless tyrant, and he instituted a regime of terror against his opponents. He was overthrown in 1852 and fled to England.

Back: Vuelta de Obligado battle scene