San Luis Province

San Luis is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country, on the 32° South parallel. It is bordered by La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza, and San Juan. The provincial capital, also named San Luis, was first established in 1594 by Luis Jufré de Loaysa y Meneses, though the settlement was later abandoned. It was refounded in 1596 by Martín García Óñez de Loyola under the name San Luis de Loyola.

Since Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983, the Rodríguez Saá family, affiliated with the Peronist party, has held the governorship for much of that period. Former governor Adolfo Rodríguez Saá, now a senator, oversaw significant economic development, attracting light manufacturing industries such as food processors and bottling plants, and spearheading the construction of the country’s most extensive expressway network. As of 2023, Claudio Poggi, who previously served as governor from 2011 to 2015, holds the office.

The province’s economy has seen substantial improvement over the past generation; in 2006, its output was estimated at US$3.386 billion, yielding a per capita income of about US$9,203, somewhat above the national average. The government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, with a popularly elected governor appointing the cabinet. Administratively, San Luis is divided into nine departments. Notable localities include Villa Mercedes, home to the American Palace Hotel and Casino, and the villages of Desaguadero and Villa de Merlo.