Argentine courts dismissed an injunction filed by donors' descendants to stop the transfer of José de San Martín's saber from the National Historical Museum to the Horse Grenadiers Regiment. The museum's former director, Gabriel Di Meglio, and Culture Secretariat workers oppose President Javier Milei's decision, citing breaches of donors' intent and preservation risks.
The controversy over transferring José de San Martín's saber continues to escalate in Argentina. The weapon, acquired in London in 1811 and used by the Liberator in independence campaigns, is currently at the National Historical Museum in San Telmo, exhibited for over ten years since a 2015 decree by Cristina Kirchner.
President Javier Milei's government ordered its move to the Horse Grenadiers Regiment in Palermo, effective from February 7, 2026, following the anniversary of the Battle of San Lorenzo. Donors' descendants, from Manuelita Rosas and Máximo Terrero, filed an injunction to prevent it, claiming it was donated specifically to the museum in 1968 for public custody. However, the courts found no 'binding legal charge' and dismissed the measure, though they requested reports from the new site.
Former director Gabriel Di Meglio, removed in 2025, criticized the decision: 'It is important that it stays in the Historical [Museum], because the saber was donated there, so it is a legal matter... the Historical is the country's most important history museum, it has the entire Sanmartiniana collection.' He noted the regiment lacks professional conservation staff, unlike the museum, which provides public access and triple protection with guards.
Culture Secretariat workers repudiated the transfer in a statement: 'This symbol of Argentine independence was donated to the National Historical Museum, a public museum that guarantees democratic access... The decision violates collective memory and disregards the donors' heirs' will.' Defense Ministry Cabinet Chief Guillermo Madero defended it in Infobae: 'Returning the saber to the Horse Grenadiers Regiment is an act of historical reparation... of deep respect for the Liberator's will.'
Concerns remain about security protocols and accessibility, as the regiment's space is under long-term renovations. The saber's history includes a 1967 theft, after which it was at the regiment during Onganía's dictatorship until its museum transfer.
