Once upon a time General Sarmiento was a partido. It existed. It thrived. This wasn’t just any district. General Sarmiento was a bustling area in northwest Greater Buenos Aires. It held the towns of San Miguel and Bella Vista. Parts of Pilar and Las Conchas were also included.
Picture this. Imagine the energy of 1889. Provincial Law No 2198 brought General Sarmiento into being. The communities flourished. They grew together as one.
But time marches on. In 1994 a new law changed everything. Provincial Law No 11551 was enacted. It dissolved General Sarmiento. The area was divided. Three new partidos emerged: José C Paz Malvinas Argentinas and San Miguel. A small piece of Pilar was added to Malvinas Argentinas. In return Del Viso joined Pilar.
The change was official on December 10 1995. Municipal activities shifted. The three new partidos began to function. One part remained. The National University of General Sarmiento UNGS. It kept the name. Its main campus sits in Malvinas Argentinas. It was founded in 1992. It remembers the partido’s legacy.
Think of the population. In 1980 General Sarmiento had 502926 people. The density was 2566 per square kilometer. By 1991 it had grown to 652969. A density of 3331 people per square kilometer. The number then dropped. The territorial readjustment lowered it to 638486.
The three new partidos combined had 743585 people in 2001. It increased further to 864546 by 2010. Had General Sarmiento survived it would have been huge. It would have likely held close to a million people by mid-2020. It might have become the second largest partido in Greater Buenos Aires. Only La Matanza would be larger.
Elections were a big part of General Sarmiento’s life. Records show numerous local elections. These elections ran through the 1980s and 1990s. The Partido Justicialista was a major player. Its candidates often won. Other parties like the Unión Cívica Radical also competed. Their results varied over the years.
The story of General Sarmiento is a story of growth. It’s a story of change. It’s a reminder that even the most established entities can transform. The name lives on through the university. It stands as a monument to a past that shaped this part of Argentina.