Florencio Varela (1808 - 1848)

Florencio Varela was an Argentine writer, poet, journalist and educator. Born in Buenos Aires, he showed a keen interest in the literary arts from a young age. In his youth he wrote poetry and a play. After graduating from the University of Buenos Aires in 1827, Varela became involved in politics. His association with the Partido Unitario was the cause of his exile to Montevideo 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. Later, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he worked on his history of Argentina, and travelled to Europe trying to get British and French support to the project of a new state. He was one of the fiercest critics of Governor Rosas, under whose orders he was assassinated on March 20 1848.