unitarias

Unitarias is the plural form of unitaria in Spanish and can refer to different historical and religious usages. In Argentine history, Unitarios were supporters of a centralized national government in the early decades after independence in the Río de la Plata. They favored a strong executive, a unitary constitution, and centralized authority in Buenos Aires, opposing the Federales, who defended provincial autonomy. The Unitarians and Federales clashed in civil conflicts during the 1820s and 1830s, shaping the political evolution of the country. Prominent episodes include the administration of Bernardino Rivadavia and the eventual federal ascendancy under leaders such as Juan Manuel de Rosas; the movement declined as federal structures solidified and many Unitarians went into exile or adapted to compromise policies.

In religious terms, Unitarians are adherents of Unitarianism, a non-Trinitarian Christian movement that emphasizes the oneness of God and the humanity of Jesus in many traditions. The Unitarian tradition originated in Europe during the Reformation and spread to the Americas and elsewhere, where it has often been associated with liberal theology, freedom of conscience, and social reform. Unitarian churches exist in several countries under various organizations, and may be labeled as Iglesia Unitaria or Unitarian congregations, reflecting a history of rationalist and progressive religious thought.

The term unitarias can also appear in other contexts where a unitary or non-Trinitarian understanding is salient, but the two uses described above are among the most historically significant.