May 25, Argentinian national day.

For several days already, the streets have been rejoiced with “albiceleste” (blue sky and white) colors of the “Bandera”, the Argentinian flag. Taxis and cars dress themselves up small flags distributed by young auxiliaries of the municipality placed at the various crossings of the city. In this country the national pride is not expressed simply at the time of a soccer match.
Today, May 25, Argentina, thus celebrates one of the outstanding events of its history.

Spain under the yoke of the Napoleonean armies carried out its own war of independence. Although the King had abdicated in favour of his son Ferdinand VII, the Crown of Spain had been allocated to the brother of the Emperor, Joseph, since 1808. In all Spain, popular juntas had been created to resist the French invader.

Conscious of this deliquescence of the Spanish authority that they had already perceived a few years earlier, when the viceroy had fled the town of Buenos Aires in front of the threat of an English task force, creole groups freedom fighters decided to pass to the action.

In this end of May 1810, the tension with the viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros had reached its paroxysm. Under the glance of a relatively indifferent population, a fight of influence had begun and the independence groups wanted to be sure of the support of the Army.

Worried by the situation of the Colony, they had the idea to create a town council, in which could take part the notable ones of the city, to draw up an assessment of the situation of the country before considering measurements necessary to its development: the first meeting of the “Cabildo " took place on May 19.

Throughout the week, surging debates opposed the partisans of the creation of a junta to those who wanted to conserve of the administration in place. The dismissal of the viceroy was finally voted on May 25 and a popular junta directed by Cornélio Saavedra (chief of the regiment of the Patricians) was named.

It counted in particular in its rows Manuel Belgrano who 2 years later would be the first to raise, in Rosario, the colors of Argentina.

Although the sovereignty of Ferdinand VII was still recognized several years after, this event marked in fact the end of the Spanish domination.