Rivadavia he was born as a citizen of the colonial empire of Spain; Raised and educated in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, he was one of the first defenders of independence. In 1810 he joined the group of citizen leaders that overthrew the Spanish viceroy and secured virtual independence.
The newly independent United Provinces of the Río de la Plata groped for a stable government, and in 1811 a triumvirate replaced the revolutionary junta. Rivadavia he served first as a secretary and then as a full member of the governing body. He was a fervent innovator, introducing all kinds of reforms and institutions in the sociopolitical vacuum left by the disintegration of the colonial government.
With phenomenal interest, Rivadavia offered an astonishing variety of proposals for the developing nation. Very concerned about human rights, he supported decrees designed to guarantee civil liberties for all citizens, men and women. Logically, then, he sought to strip both the Roman Catholic Church and the military of special privileges that he considered inappropriate in the imagined egalitarian society.
Rivadavia he also served his nation in the field of diplomacy, twice traveling to Europe on delicate missions and occupying the office of the foreign minister. His successes include persuading both Great Britain and the United States to recognize Argentina’s independence from Spain. In addition, his trips to Europe gave him the opportunity to savor the concepts of thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham, Adam Smith, Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos and Pedro Rodríguez de Campomanes.
In 1826 a constitutional congress appointed Rivadavia President of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the future Argentine Republic. Despite the fact that the action of that body technically had no legal sanction, Rivadavia he carried out his duties to the greatest extent possible. But he soon ran into difficulties. An unfinished war with Brazil exhausted the government’s resources and sparked much resentment. His promulgation of a fairly centralist constitution excited the ire of the jealous provincial chiefs. Faced with relentless opposition, Rivadavia resigned in 1827.
Forced into exile by his enemies, he wandered in Latin America and Europe for several years. He died in Cádiz, Spain, on September 2, 1845. He left behind a rich heritage of reforms and institutions that, in more fortuitous times, Argentina would revive with enthusiasm.