Florencio Varela

Who was Florencio Varela?

Florencio Varela was an Argentine writer, poet, journalist and educator.

Florencio was born in Buenos Aires on February 23, 1808, he was the sixth child of Don Jacobo Adrián Varela and María de la Encarnación Sanjinés, he had a keen interest in the literary arts from a young age. In his youth he wrote poetry and a theatre production.

After graduating from the University of Buenos Aires in 1827 Varela became involved in politics, his association with the Partido Unitario meant that he was exiled to Montevideo in Uruguay after the defeat of General Juan Lavalle.

Varela settled in Montevideo starting a family and associating with several other exile writers and intellectuals who opposed the rule of Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas.

After suffering a heart condition Varela moved to Río de Janeiro in Brazil where he recovered his health and worked on his history of Argentina. In 1842 he returned to Uruguay. In 1843 he travelled to Europe in order to garner British and French support to the project of a new state comprising Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul and some Argentine provinces. While in France, and like many other young travelers did, he met José de San Martín.