General Martín Miguel de Gü emes, warrior of Independence and servant of the Homeland, had the help and support of women who carried out great feats. “Many women from the United Provinces and the Río de la Plata, had an active participation in the fight for independence, at the dawn of the country, especially those from Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, which were in the middle of the war between the Alto Perú and Buenos Aires,” said Eufracina Torres, vice president of the Martina Silva de Gurruchaga fort, made up of 100 people, mostly women.
General Martín Miguel de Gü emes, warrior of Independence and servant of the Homeland, had the help and support of women who carried out great feats. “Many women from the United Provinces and the Río de la Plata, had an active participation in the fight for independence, at the dawn of the country, especially those from Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, which were in the middle of the war between the Alto Perú and Buenos Aires,” said Eufracina Torres, vice president of the Martina Silva de Gurruchaga fort, made up of 100 people, mostly women.
Eufracina was born on March 3, 1942 in the town of Amblayo, where she spent her childhood and part of her adolescence with her parents: Ubaldo and Antolina, and five siblings. She remembers that since she was little she loved gauchaje. “My father was always dressed as a guacho. He worked like that. At one point I told him that I wanted to parade and he told me that he agreed but that he had to have all the elements. I told him that there were horses and saddles on the farm but he told me that No, I had to have everything on my own, I had to work to get them. I was 17 years old,” Eufracina said.
At that time she could not acquire the accessories to parade and life took her in another direction: she moved to the capital of Salta, studied, worked as a nurse at the La Viña hospital, got married and moved to the city of Buenos Aires. . When she was 21 years old she became a mother. She had four children: Víctor, Ubaldo, Julio and Ángel Quipildor.
“I separated. I was 32 years old and I started working in a chemical industry but my children wanted to live in Salta. The two oldest came on vacation and stayed and when we had the opportunity to come with the two youngest, we did,” he said. .
Eufracina really likes to dance folklore. “It’s forgetting everything, transporting yourself to another level. I love zamba. It’s the most precious thing there is.” This is how she became friends with a woman who directed a dance group called “Maikan Sumaj”, which she joined in November 1996.
“She told me that she belonged to a fort and asked me if I wanted to be a gaucha. I told her I was delighted. On July 1, 1996, Martina Silva de Gurruchaga entered the fort,” he said.
“Little by little, I fulfilled my dream of getting everything: the saddle, renting the horse, the clothes. It was the best. I began to participate in the patron saint festivities and the patriotic parades,” he said with enthusiasm.
And he added: “The most important thing is to have love and respect for the gauchaje, the Homeland and Güemes. The gauchos are custodians of the history of Güemes, representatives of the province of Salta. Clothing must always be impeccable. It is sacred. There are girls who enter the fort and have the gaucha suit blessed first.
On July 19, 1998, Eufracina became president of the Martina Silva de Gurruchaga fort, a position she held for 19 years. She has held the vice presidency for seven years. She received recognition from different governments and organizations.
“The Martina Silva de Gurruchaga fort was created by Teresita Espíndola, directed by women, but it is also made up of men because we have a dance team, artistic numbers and they are a support. They are excellent,” he said.
And he added: “Every time we parade we think of Güemes. We are moved by holding the flag and the Salta poncho high before the world. It is a great source of pride,” concluded Eufracina.
