Home | Roca, Julio Argentino
- CountryArgentina
- Town:Buenos Aires
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Year of creation:1941
- Rider(s):Roca, Julio Argentino
(1843–1914) was President of Argentina from 1880 to 1886 and again from 1898 to 1904. While in the army, he applied ruthless measures to subdue and destroy the Indian communities of the Pampas. This desert campaign proved wildly popular among the Argentine electorate, who chose Roca as their president the next year. Roca was only 37 when first elected and served two terms during periods of booming national prosperity.
- Sculptor(s):Zorilla de San Martin, José Luis
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Roca’s equestrian statue in Buenos Aires is frequently marked with graffiti that compares his rule to that of the last military dictatorship, and seeks to draw attention to the crimes that accompanied his Desert Campaign. The statue is the most controversial in Buenos Aires as it is viewed by many as an affront of human rights, especially those of the indigenous people of Patagonia.
