About: National Sovereignty Day

The National Sovereignty Day is a national public holiday of Argentina, celebrated during November 20. It commemorates the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado, which took place on 20 November 1845 during the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata. Argentine Confederation forces, led by Juan Manuel de Rosas, were attacked by a combined Anglo-French fleet. Although the attackers broke through Argentine defenses and routed Rosas' forces, the heavy losses they suffered proved that foreign ships could not safely navigate Argentina's internal waters against its government's wishes. The battle also changed political attitudes toward the Argentine Confederation among other South American nations by increasing support for Rosas and his regime. The day was enacted as a national observance in 1974, following a request from the revisionist historian José María Rosa, and promoted into a national holiday in 2010.