Proyecto de traslacion de las fronteras de Buenos Aires al Rio Negro y Colorado

This 19th‑century memorandum presents an ambitious plan to shift the frontier of the Argentine Republic farther west, toward the mighty Negro and Colorado rivers. Authored by a seasoned Spanish officer who had made his home in Mendoza, it argues for a peaceful, organized settlement of a fertile tract that could bolster the young nation’s security and prosperity. The tone reflects Enlightenment optimism, portraying the expansion as a civilizing mission that avoids bloodshed and foreign entanglements.

The proposal sketches the new boundary as a four‑sided figure bounded by rivers, the Atlantic coast, and the existing provincial limits, and it even includes a detailed itinerary from Buenos Aires to the remote outpost of Talcahuano. It outlines how existing troops could be redeployed to man forts, how modest funds from the war chest would cover the costs, and how local indigenous groups might be accommodated without conflict. Listeners are treated to a vivid portrait of early nation‑building, the rugged Patagonian landscape, and the bold visions that shaped the region’s destiny.