Bernardino Rivadavia
Rivadavia, Bernardino
Born May 20, 1780, in Buenos Aires; died Sept. 2, 1845, in Cádiz. Argentine statesman and politician; fighter for the independence of South America from Spanish rule. A leader of the Patriotic Junta—the first Argentine government set up during the war for the independence of the Spanish colonies in America.
In 1811–12, Rivadavia was a member of the Triumvirate and minister of war, then minister of domestic and foreign affairs. He was on a diplomatic mission to Europe from 1815 to 1820. As minister of domestic and foreign affairs from 1821 to 1824, Rivadavia carried out a number of political and economic reforms (limited agrarian reform and creation of a banking system), military and church reforms, and a reform of public education. From February 1826 to June 1827 he was president of the United Provinces of La Plata, which became the Federal Republic of Argentina in December 1826. Rivadavia opposed the expansion of Brazil. Under pressure from domestic reactionary forces, he resigned and emigrated.