Victorino de la Plaza grew up in poverty in the northern province of Salta but always did well in school. So well that he managed to obtain free education in the best schools in the country. He worked in the law office of V\u00e9lez Sarfield<\/strong> as an assistant during the writing of Argentina\u2019s civil code, but he actually contributed much more than his title implied. De la Plaza first met Roque S\u00e1enz Pe\u00f1a in that law office, & they remained friends for a lifetime. After fighting in the war with Paraguay<\/a>, the costs for his education were waived since he was one of the best in his class.<\/p>\n From that moment, De la Plaza\u2019s political career took off. He was appointed to several positions in both educational institutions, provincial & national government (including representative of his native Salta in Congress) & later a number of important foreign ministry & economic positions. De la Plaza spent 21 years in London, promoting Argentina every chance he could. While in the UK, he obtained important railroad investment & debt restructuring which helped Argentina become one of most modern nations in Latin America by the beginning of the 20th century.<\/p>\n Soon after returning to Argentina in 1907, Victorino de la Plaza ran as Vice-President on the Roque S\u00e1enz Pe\u00f1a ticket. S\u00e1enz Pe\u00f1a was in office from 1910 to 1914; De la Plaza completed the last 2 years of the 6-year term after the President passed away. Thanks to De la Plaza\u2019s ability as a statesman, Argentina maintained neutrality throughout WWI & universal male suffrage successfully began in 1916.<\/p>\n But where is he?<\/strong> Multiple sources claim that he is buried in Recoleta Cemetery, but I\u2019ve yet to see definitive proof. An old city government handout puts him near Marcelina Alen de Yrigoyen. Her tomb is pictured below. No plaque belongs to him there & the neighboring mausoleum is empty & undergoing repairs (note the scaffolding on the left):<\/p>\n Surely they wouldn\u2019t disturb a President. A few tombs away is Victorino\u2019s brother with a \u201cDe la Plaza y Casta\u00f1eda Vega\u201d nameplate (pix below). No Argentine flag is inside so Victorino is MIA. Any info would be appreciated:<\/p>\n![\"Marcelina](\"http:\/\/www.recoletacemetery.com\/images\/200711I30.jpg\" "\\"Marcelina")
<\/p>\n![\"De](\"http:\/\/www.recoletacemetery.com\/images\/200711I25.jpg\" "\\"De")
<\/p>\n![\"De](\"http:\/\/www.recoletacemetery.com\/images\/200711I26.jpg\" "\\"De")
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