José Gervasio Artigas (June 19 1764 - September 23 1850) was a national hero of Uruguay and is sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan independence".

Artigas was born in Montevideo in the Spanish colony of Banda Oriental which later become the republic of Uruguay.

He was a smuggler in his youth, and then became a soldier within the Spanish army. Later he became the leader of the resistance against Spain and participated in a popular war against the empire which began around 1811. In 1815 he defeated the Spaniards but a year later the Portuguese empire invaded from Brazil.

He continued fighting against Portugal but was utterly defeated in 1820. He was then exiled to Paraguay, were he died in 1850.

Quotes:

• I will not sell the rich heritage of [Uruguayans] at the low price of necessity ("No venderé el rico patrimonio de los orientales al bajo precio de la necesidad")
• My authority comes from you, and it ceases before your sovereign presence ("Mi autoridad emana de vosotros, y ella cesa ante vuestra presencia soberana")
• Mercy for the defeated ("Clemencia para los vencidos")

He admired the United States of America and was said to always carry a copy of the United States Constitution with him. He wanted the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata government to be based on the same federalist ideas as the United States of America.

A statue of him stands in Washington, DC.