Eduardo Madero

A nephew of publisher Florencio Varela, his uncle's enmity with the Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Juan Manuel de Rosas, led Madero to relocate to Montevideo, in neighboring Uruguay.

The Director of Riachuelo Works, Luis Huergo, presented plans of his own design for a port of staggered docks, rather like the bittings on a key.

The seasoned Madero, however, traveled to London, where he obtained both the services of renowned British engineer Sir John Hawkshaw and financing for the project from Barings Bank (the chief underwriter of Argentine bonds and investment, at the time).

It was approved by both houses in October 1882, and Madero was entrusted not only with overseeing the completion of Sir John Hawkshaw's design of adjoining impounded docks; but also with negotiating the necessary financing of the project.

Outstripped by rising shipping volume and freighter sizes even before its completion, in 1911 Madero's port was supplemented by new facilities of Huergo's design.