Martín Miguel Juan de Mata Güemes, a key leader in the struggle for Argentine and American independence, was born in Salta on 8 February 1785. He was an Argentine military and political figure who played an outstanding role in Argentina's War of Independence. With very scarce resources, he fought a constant guerrilla war, known as the Gaucho War, stopping six invasions by the royalist army, thus preserving the rest of the current Argentinean territory. Today, 240 years after his birth, his legacy lives on as an example of courage, patriotism and sacrifice for the freedom of the continent.

From a young age, Güemes demonstrated his military vocation. He studied at the San Carlos School in Buenos Aires, but at the age of 14 he joined the army as a cadet in the Company of the 3rd Battalion of the King's Battalion. His combat prowess was evident in the English Invasions of 1806 and 1807, and later in the Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Battle of Suipacha (1810), a key victory in the Wars of Independence.
With the advent of the independence process, Güemes organised the gauchos of northern Argentina in a strategy of guerrilla warfare that stopped six royalist invasions. Under his leadership, the so-called Gaucho War became a fundamental bastion for protecting the country's northern frontier. His contribution was acknowledged by José de San Martín, who appointed him as the commander of the Río Pasaje outpost. After his first triumph, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the army.

In 1815, the Cabildo of Salta appointed him Governor of the Intendencia de Salta, which included the current territories of Salta, Jujuy and Tarija (today Bolivia). His administration was marked by resistance to the royalist forces, without receiving support from other provinces. In 1820, San Martín sent him the dispatches of General in Chief of the Army of Observation over Peru, consolidating his role in the liberation effort.

On 7 June 1821, Salta was invaded by 400 royalist infantry under the command of Colonel José María ‘Barbarucho’ Valdez, who was supported by local opponents. In that assault, Güemes was wounded in the back and, after ten days of agony, died on 17 June 1821 at the age of 36. His sacrifice was not in vain: his army, known as ‘Los Infernales’, ensured the continuity of the independence process.

In 1999, the Congress of the Argentine Nation, under Law N° 25.172, declared the day of his death as ‘National Day of Latin American Freedom’. On 2 August 2006, Law Nº 26.125 was passed, officially declaring him a ‘National Hero’. These recognitions underline the importance of Güemes in Argentine history and his impact on the regional struggle for freedom. Since then, every June 17th his passage to immortality is commemorated.

Martín Miguel de Güemes is synonymous with struggle, strategy and patriotic commitment. His legacy lives on in Argentine history as a fundamental pillar of independence. 240 years after his birth, his example continues to illuminate the path to freedom.