Each November 20, Argentina commemorates the Día de la Soberanía Nacional in honour of the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado, fought in 1845, when troops of the Argentine Confederation confronted a joint Anglo-French naval fleet on the Paraná River in defence of the country's independence and control over its resources.

The confrontation took place at a narrow bend of the Paraná, in the Buenos Aires district of San Pedro. Argentine forces deployed a defensive strategy that included stretching heavy chains across the river to obstruct the enemy vessels, supported by cannon batteries positioned along the riverbanks. Outnumbered and less well-equipped, the national troops held off the invaders for more than seven hours, preventing them from occupying the riverbanks and securing dominion over the territory.

The Anglo-French fleet, despite its superior armament, was unable to consolidate its objectives. The stated purpose of the incursion had been to assert military and commercial dominance by advancing along the Paraná with the aim of colonising the region and opening markets for foreign goods. Hostilities ultimately concluded with the signing of a peace treaty that recognised Argentina's sovereign rights over its interior rivers.

Beyond the military engagement itself, the battle is described as a symbol of unity, resistance, and the defence of national sovereignty. The Argentine government frames sovereignty not only as the protection of territory, but also as the preservation of the country's political, economic, and cultural independence.

The date was formally established as Día de la Soberanía Nacional in 1974. Official statements mark the commemoration from the country's northernmost point to Base Marambio in Antarctica, underscoring the geographic breadth of what Argentina considers its sovereign territory. The Vuelta de Obligado is presented as a reminder of the importance of defending both territory and freedom as a people.

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