The book, published by Hojas del Sur (Faro Collection), seeks to highlight a less widespread aspect of Manuel Belgrano: his role as a promoter of ideas related to free trade, private property and the generation of wealth, beyond his recognized role as creator of the flag.
The presentation was held in the Julio Cortázar room of the Book Fair, where Valenzuela presented the central axes of his work. “We all know him in his military role and creator of the Flag, but few of us know that he was our first great economist,” the author explained
. Javier Milei and Diego Valenzuela.
Along these lines, he added: “This time I tell how I introduced the ideas of Adam Smith and why he understood that the country can only succeed with investment, productive development
and genuine work.”
The book proposes to approach the figure of Belgrano from an economic perspective, highlighting his influence on liberal thinking in the Rio de la Plata. As Valenzuela explained, his contributions to trade, education and production position him as a key figure in Argentine economic history
.
“It wasn't just Flag and War of Independence. He was one of the first economists in Rio de la Plata: he defended free trade, productive education and the creation of wealth. He is, without a doubt, the first liberal in our history,” he said
. Diego Valenzuela.
The work adds to the author's career as a historian and biographer, who has already addressed the figure of Belgrano in previous publications. This new book represents his fifth work, after titles such as “The Resurrection: The Way Out of the 2001 Crisis”, “Enigmas of Argentine History”, “Sarmiento Journalist” (2012) and “Belgrano: The Revolution of Ideas” (2014
).
The presentation took place on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m., and as it turned out, it included a surprise show as part of the event.
