National Day Message by H. E. Mr. Alfredo Nestor Atanasoff, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Argentina to the Republic of Bulgaria

Every July 9, we Argentinians celebrate our Independence Day, which was proclaimed 206 years ago. The Declaration of Independence, along with the May Revolution of 1810, are the two foundational and most significant moments in the history of the Argentine nation, of a nation that chose to be free.

For the people of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, who in 1810 had already declared their will to rule independently, in order to form their own government and reject the colonial stamp with which they were born and in whose power they still find themselves, the thirst for independence is the result of compelling necessity.

After the May Revolution in the United Provinces, the process of building national legislation and state institutions began. Among these national bodies is the Assembly of 1813, which proclaimed the independence of the Argentine people, reaffirmed the principle of representativeness of the deputies, and adopted progressive laws such as the abolition of the slave trade, compulsory personal service for the indigenous population, the proclamation of freedom of religion and of the children born to slave mothers - all decisions which, in today's plan, represent indisputable achievements in the respect of human rights.

The desire to achieve independence in those years was an absolute necessity and because the former Spanish colonies in the South of America were witnessing the consolidation of Spanish power, which was increasing its military presence and taking action to reconquer them, something that was threatening their future. In order to achieve their complete freedom, it was necessary for them to definitively reject colonial rule from their lands, and therefore the great military leader of Argentine and Latin American independence, General José de San Martín, insisted on the mandatory adoption of a declaration of independence by the people's representatives, meanwhile preparing the army to cross the Andes and fight against the colonial dependence. San Martín was looking forward to the publication of the Declaration of Independence because, in his opinion, only an independent country can fight for the independence of others.

Finally, independence became a reality when the deputies of the provinces gathered in the Constituent Congress in the old city of San Miguel de Tucumán and, after debates lasting three months, on July 9th, 1816, they declared independence from the Spanish colonial power, its king and his successors, stating that they do justice to "all nations and peoples of the entire globe, in the name and on behalf of the nations they represent." Each deputy in the chamber, elected directly by the people of their province, separately confirmed the declaration of independence previously accepted by all present at the Congress. A decision was immediately made to publish the Declaration of Independence in Spanish, as well as in the languages ​​of the indigenous population - Quechua, Aymara and Guarani.

Today, more than two centuries after the declaration of our independence, we remember again July 9th, 1816 as a powerful cry for freedom, independence, solidarity, and increased international recognition of the Argentine nation.

The photo was provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Argentina in the Republic of Bulgaria. On it: H. E. Mr. Alfredo Nestor Atanasoff, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Argentina to the Republic of Bulgaria