Overview

• Tucumán observes the 24 September anniversary with a full program of religious and civic acts, including a central mass, a torchlit rosary, a Caminata Histórica, and commemorations at the Casa Belgraniana.
• At midday the image of the Virgin is moved to the Comunidad de las Hermanas Esclavas at the historic battlefield, then to Plaza Belgrano for a civic‑military ceremony before a procession to Plaza Independencia along Juan Bautista Alberdi and 24 de Septiembre.
• Devotion focuses on the Virgin of la Merced, declared Generala del Ejército by Manuel Belgrano following the 1812 victory that halted the royalist advance in the north.
• Local opinion pieces and readers’ letters renew appeals to make 24 September a national holiday, arguing the northern provinces’ role is undervalued in the commemorative calendar.
• Cited scholarship underscores the battle’s decisive impact on the independence process, with reported figures of about 240 royalist and 65 patriot casualties and accounts mentioning a locust storm during the engagement.