The Argentine National Academy of History considered in 1966 that Rivero and his followers were common criminals driven by no patriotic feeling, and Argentine historian Laurio H. Destéfani wrote in his 1982 book on the history of the Falkland Islands dispute:
"This is the true story of what happened proof of which is stated in 42 documents published by the National Academy of History. Attempts have been made to create a legend about courageous gauchos who attacked and defeated the British, but this is just imagination. The truth as recorded in those documents does not authorize the creation of myths or legends"
When he was about twenty years old, he was taken to the Falkland Islands by Luis Vernet, to work as a gaucho. Conditions of employment caused discontent among Vernet's workers. They were paid with promissory notes which Matthew Brisbane, Vernet's deputy, devalued following the reduction in Vernet's fortunes.[2] On August 26, 1833, eight months after the British returned to the Falkland Islands, Rivero led a group of Creoles and Indians in an attack against the senior members of Vernet's settlement.
His co-conspirators were two gauchos, John Brasso and Jose Maria Luna, and five Charrúa Indians, Manuel Gonzalez, Luciano Flores, Felipe Salazar, Marcos Latorre and Manuel Godoy. They killed five men, Captain Brisbane, Juan Simón (foreman of the gauchos), Dickson, Antonio Wagner and Ventura Pasos. The population of that time, mainly women and children, fled to the nearby Peat island, until rescued by the sealer Hopeful in October 1833, who then passed information on the murders to the British squadron at Rio de Janeiro.
In January 1834 the British ship HMS Challenger arrived in the islands, bringing Lt Henry Smith, who set out to capture the murderers, who fled into the interior. Rivero then betrayed his companions in the hope of a reduced sentence
"This is the true story of what happened proof of which is stated in 42 documents published by the National Academy of History. Attempts have been made to create a legend about courageous gauchos who attacked and defeated the British, but this is just imagination. The truth as recorded in those documents does not authorize the creation of myths or legends"
When he was about twenty years old, he was taken to the Falkland Islands by Luis Vernet, to work as a gaucho. Conditions of employment caused discontent among Vernet's workers. They were paid with promissory notes which Matthew Brisbane, Vernet's deputy, devalued following the reduction in Vernet's fortunes.[2] On August 26, 1833, eight months after the British returned to the Falkland Islands, Rivero led a group of Creoles and Indians in an attack against the senior members of Vernet's settlement.
His co-conspirators were two gauchos, John Brasso and Jose Maria Luna, and five Charrúa Indians, Manuel Gonzalez, Luciano Flores, Felipe Salazar, Marcos Latorre and Manuel Godoy. They killed five men, Captain Brisbane, Juan Simón (foreman of the gauchos), Dickson, Antonio Wagner and Ventura Pasos. The population of that time, mainly women and children, fled to the nearby Peat island, until rescued by the sealer Hopeful in October 1833, who then passed information on the murders to the British squadron at Rio de Janeiro.
In January 1834 the British ship HMS Challenger arrived in the islands, bringing Lt Henry Smith, who set out to capture the murderers, who fled into the interior. Rivero then betrayed his companions in the hope of a reduced sentence
