Moreno, Mariano

(1778–1811)

   One of the leading republican leaders in the early years of Argentina ’s struggle for independence. Moreno was an active figure in local politics in Buenos Aires during the first decade of the nineteenth century. Trained in theology and law, in 1810 he produced a key pamphlet, Representación de los hacendados y labradores, which asserted the logic and the benefits of free trade and challenged colonial commercial restrictions. Its publication made him one of the leading liberal intellectuals in Buenos Aires. He helped introduce a broader range of anti-imperialist ideas by translating French revolutionary tracts into Spanish. When the city council declared independence in 1810, he served in the first revolutionary government formed in 1810. Moreno’s belief in a centralized government and his preference for a single country rather than a collection of provinces in place of the defunct colony alienated many of his peers. Sent on a diplomatic mission to Europe, he died at sea.

   See also <>.

   FURTHER READING:

    Bagú, Sergio. Mariano Moreno. Buenos Aires: EUDEBA, 1966.

   DANIEL K. LEWIS