On 24 September 1812, the Battle of Tucumán was fought, a key episode in Argentine history that not only halted the royalist advance, but also consolidated the May Revolution. Despite being outnumbered and disobeying the Triumvirate's orders, General Manuel Belgrano emerged as a bold and strategic leader who was able to unite the people of Tucumán to stop Pío Tristán's army.

This confrontation, which many historians consider the battle that ‘saved the May Revolution’, was not only a military victory, but also an act of great symbolism and popular resistance. The Army of the North, together with the self-sacrificing people of Jujuy and other patriots of the region, travelled more than 360 kilometres from the exodus of Jujuy to Tucumán, leaving behind them devastated lands that made it impossible for the enemy to find resources for their advance.

Upon arriving in Tucumán, Belgrano was greeted by a population committed to fighting for independence. On 24 September, after days of previous clashes in the area, the patriot and royalist forces met at what would become known as the Campo de las Carreras. Belgrano, showing military cunning, took advantage of a fire in the pastures caused by Lieutenant Lamadrid to disorient the enemy and force them to take a less favourable route.

The battle unfolded in a confused manner, but the impetus of the patriot cavalry, composed in part of Tucuman and Salta gauchos, proved decisive. With frontal charges and flanking, they disorganised Tristán's forces. In addition, an episode that has gone down in popular lore as providential was the appearance of a swarm of locusts that obscured the battlefield, creating even more confusion among the royalists.

Finally, the patriots, with great effort and leadership, managed to capture prisoners, ammunition and royalist flags. The victory consolidated the figure of Belgrano and the morale of the independence fighters. In recognition of the Virgen de la Merced, to whom Belgrano had consecrated his army before the battle, the general sent the captured flags to the Triumvirate and dedicated the victory to this Virgin, thus becoming the patron saint of the Argentine army.

This battle not only halted the royalist advance towards the north of the current Argentine territory, but also marked a turning point in the war for independence, nourishing the hope that the patriot cause was viable.

This anniversary invites us to remember the patriotic legacy of Belgrano, who, with determination, commitment and faith in his cause, consolidated the May Revolution and, subsequently, was key to the Declaration of Independence on 9 July 1816. His leadership in the Battle of Tucumán not only saved the Revolution at a critical moment, but also gave us one of the most significant victories in our history, reaffirming the struggle for freedom and sovereignty of our nation.