The province of Corrientes is a hotbed of expressions, sayings and phrases of all kinds. “If Argentina goes to war, Corrientes will help her” is one of the most famous. This curious statement suggests two things. The first is that Corrientes is part of Argentina and at the same time it is not. This idea is combined with another famous Argentine phrase that says “Corrientes, República aparte” (for better or worse). The second question that implies the saying is that, when “potatoes burn”, the Correntinos are always there . What's true about all this?

Currents to the rescue

The popular saying that “If Argentina goes to war, Corrientes will help her” is based on real facts. When things got ugly for the country, the Correntinos appeared wielding sword and shield for the nation. It was not one, but several times that, when the “batisignal” turned on, Corrientes responded.

An example is the Squadron of Correntino Hunters during the time of the English invasions. A militia unit created with 84 Correntinos on August 14, 1806. His baptism by fire occurred during the Second English Invasion or Defense of Buenos Aires in 1807. It was difficult for our embryonic country when the English attacked a second time. Argentina was at war and Corrientes helped. The Correntino Hunters were decisive in the British defeat on July 5.

Every time Argentina went into war, Corrientes kept its word. From Yatay to Falklands. However, many specialists argue that the origin of the famous popular saying comes from a particular battle: the Battle of Ñaembé.

It was 1871, it was tumultuous times within Argentina. During the struggle against Entrerriano López Jordán, Corrientes demonstrated an incomparable momentum, worthy of a universal epic. They say that, from this invasion, comes the famous saying “if Argentina goes to war, Corrientes will help it”.

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Did you know that Misiones has a dictionary of his own?