Over the Andes

In the early nineteenth century, much of Latin America was still controlled by its Spanish colonizers. However, in 1810 when Mexico started its revolution, Latin America had slowly been sending the Spaniards back to Spain and starting their own countries. In South America, two men led charges from both the north (Simón Bolívar, [see-moan bow-lee-var]) and south (José de San Martín [hoe-say dey sahn mar-teen], shown below), eventually meeting in Peru where the last Spaniard forces left in 1824. San Martín, an Argentine, has been a hero in Argentina and South America ever since. While many military feats are impressive, what San Martín did was extraordinary.


After helping win a few battles against the Spaniards in 1813 and 1814, San Martín went to the west of Argentina to the province of Mendoza [men-dose-a]. From there, he planned to cross the Andes and attack the Spaniards in Chile and Peru. While this was a dangerous and ambitious goal, San Martín led his army over the mountains in 1817. They reached altitudes of over 13,000 feet at times and entered Chile, defeating the Spaniards there in multiple battles in 1818. From there, San Martín led his troops into Peru in 1821 and conquered Lima. In 1822, he met with Bolívar, who was coming from the north. San Martín gave control of Peru to the much more ambitious Bolívar and left Peru. San Martín eventually settled in France, where he died.

San Martín is immensely popular in Argentina. Thousands of streets, neighborhoods, and cities carry the names San Martín, Libertador ("liberator" [lee-bare-ta-door], a nickname of his), Boulogne sur Mer ([boo-loan-ya soor mare], the city in France where San Martín resided and eventually died), and more. This next-to-last picture is a statue of him in the city of Mendoza and in the same province where his trip began. He is pointing to Chile, symbolizing his leadership and ambition to cross the Andes and defeat the Spaniards in the west.


The last picture is a monument to "the Andes Army" and the Argentines who helped the army prepare for its trip. San Martín is on the horse with his arms folded. The inscription pays tribute the efforts of the Andes Army to liberate their home country of Argentina. The angel on top of monument represents divine intervention and guidance for the army, helping Argentina break free from Spanish rule. The angel has a broken chain in each hand, signifying this break from tyranny and injustice. San Martín is perhaps the most important figure in Argentine history. As such, he is a source of nationalism for Argentines and a vital part of their culture and identity.