RODRIGUEZ, Manuel Domingo, Argentine statesman, born in Buenos Ayres in 1780; died there in 1840. He served in the war of independence, and was a colonel at the time of the establishment of the republic by the congress of Tucuman, 9 July, 1816. After the fall of the last director, Rondeau, in January, 1820, the municipality of Buenos Ayres gave the military command successively to various chiefs, but anarchy reigned everywhere, so that tile governors of Santa F6 and Entrerios easily routed the forces of Buenos Ayres in Canada de ia Cruz, and occupied the city. In this emergency Rodriguez was elected governor of Buenos Ayres, 9 May, 1820, and, re-establishing order, signed a treaty of peace with Lopez, governor of Santa F6, by which the independence of the provinces was recognized. In 1821 he called to his cabinet Bernardino Rivadavia (q. v.) as secretary of the interior, and Dr. Manuel Garcia as secretary of the treasury, and with their co-operation many reforms were introduced in the administration. Liberty of the press and separation of church and state were decreed, convents were suppressed, with the exception of two in Buenos Ayres, the emigration of foreigners was promoted, and numerous savings banks, the national bank, an academy of sciences, and the University of Buenos Ayres were established in 1823. Rodriguez was a member of the cabinet of both his successors. When, after the proclamation of a unitarian constitution by congress, 24 December, 1826, there was general discontent and revolt in tile interior provinces, President Rivadavia resigned with his cabinet, 29 June, 1827, and Rodriguez retired to private life.