“Yo no tengo más que gauchos honrados y valientes. No son asesinos sino de los tiranos, que quieren esclavizarlos. Con éstos únicamente los espero a usted, a su ejército y a cuantos mande la España”. Martín Miguel de Guemes.

El gaucho del noroeste argentino es fruto de la mezcla de sangre, con una raíz anclada en sus ancestros aborígenes y otra en su estirpe hispana. Hijo de la tierra, es de la naturaleza de donde nace y se forma. Las inmensidades y hostilidades de los montes y selvas, lo convierten en un gran observador, baqueano y rastreador.

“Yo leo en el campo. Leo en los cielos, en los cerros, en la tropa, en los caballos, en los pastos, en las aguadas, en la tierra, en los ruidos, en las polvaredas, en los silencios, en las sendas. En el canto de los pájaros, en el balido de los terneros, en los mugidos, en el ladrar de los perros que nunca tienen la misma voz. Si hasta las piedras dicen mucho, si las han movido, si las han pisado. El humo, un fuego apagado, el olor a comida, el olor a lluvia y a campo mojado. Todo dice mucho, quiere decir algo y es de mucha ayuda para el que se interesa y sabe comprender”, dice el gaucho Bartolo.

El gaucho es jinete experto en faenas camperas, pasa la mayor parte del tiempo sobre el lomo de su potro, pastoreando la hacienda. Es un andariego que detesta la  agricultura, porque lo obliga a andar a pie. Sus dos grandes compañeros son el caballo y el perro. El primero es su medio de movilidad, su herramienta de trabajo, su lecho y, por fin, un acompañante al que dedicar tiempo, recursos y conocimientos.  En tanto que el perro es su mano derecha, lo ayuda con el ganado, para o hace retornar la hacienda, y  sigue su rastro.

Es un hombre sencillo en el trato, pero amable y franco. Seguro de sí, sostiene la mirada y cuando extiende la mano lo hace con firmeza. Es de pocas palabras como el indígena, y de palabra firme como el hispano de cepa.

Austero en sus costumbres, en su rancho no pone ningún empeño, él no se aquerencia a la casa sino al pago, al lugar donde anda. Es un despojado de toda pertenencia, se conforma con lo indispensable, más no conjuga con su libertad.

Su origen se remonta a los tiempos coloniales en los que fue arriero acostumbrado a viajar por los Andes y las serranías del Perú conduciendo hacienda vacuna y mular. Los largos viajes a caballo y la sacrificada vida rural forjaron su personalidad y la riqueza de sus  saberes y costumbres.

Fue, y es, peón de campo, hombre fiel a su patrón, respetuoso de  las jerarquías y  de la palabra empeñada, dócil pero altivo.

Por su lado, el patrón, sin mezclarse con él, lo trata con “paternal familiaridad”, y lo emula asimilando sus costumbres y habilidades. En las faenas rurales, puede ser tan diestro y rústico como su gaucho servidor, aunque luego se comporte como un fino cortesano en la ciudad. Mimetizado con él, no es un genuino representante del gaucho aunque sienta orgullo de parecérsele.

El  “gaucho de ley “, personaje casi legendario, es aquel afincado, dueño de la tierra y de un rodeo importante. Es el que vive del pastoreo de su hacienda y su riqueza es solo la acumulación de ganado. Fundido a su caballo, es libre y autosuficiente. El hace sus tientos, su montura y amansa su caballo. No quiere depender ni que dependan de él, y siente orgullo de no ser peón de nadie.

En tiempos de la guerra de la Independencia son estos hombres endurecidos, pastores y arrieros que conocen la tierra como la palma de sus manos, diestros jinetes y valientes hasta la temeridad, los que junto a algunos hacendados comprometidos con la causa, se hacen guerreros bajo el mando del carismático Martín Miguel de Guemes.

El gauchaje esperanzado en lograr reivindicaciones sociales ante las arbitrariedades del dominio español y el orden social de la colonia, se suma a las filas del caudillo y lo idolatra llamándolo “padre de los pobres”.   Guemes los protege y dignifica, reconoce sus derechos y su valentía.

En la lucha, las milicias gauchas causan estragos en el enemigo. El éxito de su estrategia se basa en el hostigamiento con tácticas guerrilleras: atacan en los lugares más inesperados y se pierden en la espesura del monte con la misma velocidad con que aparecen. Con sus sombreros retobados y sus ponchos al viento, las cabalgaduras ataviadas con el tradicional apero y los infaltables guardamontes, poseían un aspecto fantasmal alado. Aullando y castigando con el rebenque los guardamontes producían un atronador rugido que causaba pánico y desconcierto en el bien armado  ejército español.

El Gral. español García Camba los describe: «Los gauchos son hombres de campo, bien montados y armados todos a machete o sable, fusil o rifle, de los que se servían alternativamente sobre sus caballos con sorprendente habilidad, acercándose a las tropas con tal confianza, soltura y sangre fría, que admiraban a los militares europeos que por primera vez observaban aquellos  hombres extraordinarios a caballo, y cuyas excelentes disposiciones para la guerra de guerrillas y de sorpresas, tuvieron repetidas ocasiones de comprobar».

Hoy, como salido de la historia, el gaucho salteño recrea en su estampa a su amado caudillo. El rostro curtido, las manos nudosas y fuertes, bien plantado, se engalana luciendo algún enchapado en su indumentaria o en su ensillado.  Es el lujo que se permite conforme a la dignidad con que vive su pobreza. Lleva una rastra que fue de su padre o un rebenque que le dio su abuelo, amplia bombacha y chaquetilla, pañuelo al cuello, botas corrugadas y espuelas. Al hombro, con orgullo, porta el poncho rojo con dos franjas negras que perpetúa el luto por la muerte de Güemes. En su espalda lleva el facón, un cuchillo grande y muy afilado que utiliza tanto para la faena del ganado como para defenderse. La forma erguida en que monta se destaca sobre el tranco de su caballo.

El gaucho, arquetipo construido de leyenda e historia, simboliza a Salta aunque no agota su identidad, y la provincia asume con orgullo la condición de tierra gaucha. Fuera o lejos de ella, esta identificación no solo refiere al pasado, sino que se prolonga, se recrea y renueva en su presente. En cada paraje, pueblo o ciudad de la provincia, los gauchos agrupados en fortines, conservan con esmero tradiciones y valores. El emblemático Martín Miguel de Guemes los continúa convocando, por ello cada año miles de gauchos llegados a la capital salteña desde los más apartados lugares se hacen presentes para conmemorar la partida a la eternidad de su máximo líder.

“My gauchos are nothing but honest and brave men. They are not assassins, but only of tyrants who want to turn them into slaves. With them and only them I wait for you, your army and as many men as Spain wishes to send.” Martín Miguel de Guemes

 The gaucho of the northwest of Argentina is the product of the mixture of races; we can trace his roots, on the one hand, to his indigenous ancestors and on the other, to his Hispanic lineage. He is the son of the earth, born in and brought up by Nature. The vastness and unfriendliness of mountains and forests has turned him into a great observer, scout and tracer.

“I read the fields. I read the skies, the troop, the horses, the pastures, the pools, the earth, the noises, the dust clouds, the silence and the paths. I read the birdsong, the bleat of calves, the moos and the bark of dogs that never have the same voice. Even stones say a lot, whether they have been moved or stepped on. Smoke, a fire that has been put out, the smell of food, the scent of rain and wet land… Everything speaks, wants to speak and can help anyone who has the interest and knows how to understand,” says Gaucho Bartolo.

The gaucho is a horseman skilled in country chores; he spends most of the time on horseback grazing the cattle. He is a wanderer who does not like farming because it implies walking and moving on foot. He has the companionship of his horse and his dog. The former is his means of transport, his working tool, his bedstead and finally a constant companion to dedicate time, resources and knowledge. The latter is his right-hand man and helps him with the cattle, making it stop or come back, and tracing its trail.

He is a man of simple manners, but kind and honest. He is confident, looks at people in the eye and has a firm handshake. He does not say much, like the natives, but he is as good as his word, like all true Hispanics.

His manners are austere and he does not really care about the hut he lives in. He is not fond of his home, but of his home region and the area he wanders around. He has very few possessions and makes do with the basics. However, he will never give up his freedom.

His origins go back to colonial times when he worked as a herdsman and was used to crossing the Andes and the mountains of Perú herding cattle and mules. The long journeys on horseback and a life of sacrifice have helped forge his personality and the richness of his knowledge and customs.

He was, and still is, a farmhand, a man loyal to his landlord, respectful of hierarchies and the given word, obedient but proud.

The landlord does not mix with the gaucho, but treats him with “paternal familiarity”. Moreover, he imitates and assimilates his customs and skills. Therefore, the landlord can be skilful and rough when performing any rural task, but he behaves as a refined gentleman in the city. Although he copies his ways and feels proud of looking like him, the landlord is not a true representative of the gaucho.

The genuine gaucho, an almost legendary character, has settled and is the owner of some land and cattle. He lives off the grazing of his cattle and his wealth is made of its accumulation. He is one with his horse; he is free and self-sufficient. He makes his own ropes and saddlery and tames the animals. He does not want to depend on others or have others depending on him; he feels proud of serving no one.

In the times of the wars of independence, these tough men, shepherds and herdsmen that know the land like the back of their hands, these skilled horsemen who are brave beyond temerity, as well as some landowners who are committed to the cause, become warriors under the charismatic leadership of Martín Miguel de Güemes.

These gauchos, who seek an answer to their claims and the arbitrariness of the Spanish rule and the social order of the colony, join their caudillo and worship him as “father of the poor.” Güemes protects them and treats them with dignity, acknowledging not only their bravery, but also their rights.

In battle, the gaucho militia wreak havoc in enemy lines. Their successful strategy is based on small attacks using guerrilla tactics: they appear in the least expected place and get lost in the thickness of the forest almost as soon as they have turned up. They wear leather hats and flapping ponchos and their horses are saddled with the traditional harness which includes a piece of thick leather that protects the horse and the rider’s legs from thorns and branches. All these ornaments help the gauchos look like winged ghosts. They also howl and slash the saddler with their whips, producing such a deafening roar that panic and confusion spread through the well-armed Spanish army.

Spanish general García Camba describes gauchos as “country men on horseback armed with machete or sabre, shotgun or rifle, which they use alternatively while riding with surprising skill … they come near the troops with such confidence, ease and cold blood that they cause the admiration of the European soldiers who have never before seen such extraordinary horsemen and whose excellent disposition for guerrilla war and sudden attack they have suffered repeatedly.”

 Nowadays, the Salteñan gaucho imitates his beloved caudillo in his attire. His weathered face, his strong knotted hands, his firm posture are adorned with silver pieces in his clothes or his saddlery. This is the only little luxury which his dignity and his poverty allow. He wears an ornate belt that belonged to his father or a whip that his grandfather gave him. His trousers or “bombachas” are loose; his jacket is tight-fitting. He has tied a kerchief round his neck and wears folded boots and spurs. On his shoulder, he proudly carries the red poncho with two black stripes in mourning for Güemes. In his back, he has the “facón”, a big sharp knife used with cattle or for defence. His upright position on horseback is as elegant as his horse’s stride.

The gaucho, an archetype made of legendary and historic elements, is the symbol of Salta, even though this does not limit its identity. The province proudly acknowledges itself as a land of gauchos. This representation does not only refer to the province’s past, but it prolongs, recreates and renews itself in the present. In every place, village or city in the province, gauchos make up groups called “fortines” to carefully preserve their values and traditions. The memory of the emblematic Martin Miguel de Güemes still has the power to summon them and each year, thousands of gauchos from the most isolated parts of the province arrive in Salta on June 18^th to commemorate the death of their leader.