On February 3, 1813, near the convent of San Carlos, a brief but transcendental combat took place in Argentine history: the Combat of San Lorenzo. This year marks the 212th anniversary of that battle, which was the baptism of fire of the Regiment of Granaderos a Caballo. Under the command of the then Colonel José de San Martín, the Grenadiers confronted the royalist troops that had disembarked from Montevideo, seeking to consolidate their control over the Paraná River. This episode consolidated a key defense strategy for the advance of the independence process.

San Martín, with a military vision ahead of his time, organized an effective ambush. Thanks to a careful observation of the enemy, he established his barracks in the convent of San Carlos, located in the city of San Lorenzo, today's province of Santa Fe, and deployed his men strategically. At the precise moment, the Grenadiers executed a pincer attack, surprising the royalists and forcing them to retreat. The battle lasted barely 15 minutes, but its impact was lasting: it prevented future royalist incursions from Montevideo and secured the key river route for the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.

The Combat of San Lorenzo not only stood out for the strategy of its leader, but also for the bravery of its soldiers. In the middle of the fight, San Martin fell trapped under his horse wounded by a cannonball, moment in which the grenadier Juan Bautista Cabral rushed to help him, losing his life in the attempt. His heroism, together with that of Juan Bautista Baigorria and Captain Justo Bermudez, was engraved in the collective memory as a symbol of dedication and sacrifice.

The triumph at San Lorenzo was San Martin's first great victory on Argentine soil and a foretaste of the military capacity that would lead him to lead the liberation campaign in South America. Beyond its military importance, the battle acquired a historical and cultural significance that endures to this day.

Every February 3, the anniversary of the battle invites us to reflect on the courage and strategy that marked the path to independence. In the memory of Cabral, San Martín and those who gave their lives for freedom, San Lorenzo continues to be a symbol of the fighting spirit and commitment to the homeland.