He served as Governor of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe provinces and Minister of War and Navy during the governments of Urquiza and Derqui.

He went with the army against Córdoba Province, and was in charge of the negotiations for the surrender of the provincial capital after the imprisonment of general José María Paz, being influential on the good treatment given to the captives.

His administration started a period of progress and peace, with good relations with the Buenos Aires provincial governor, Juan Manuel de Rosas.

Later on, he attacked the capital city of Corrientes, where the governor Genaro Berón de Astrada had rebelled against Rosas and had allied himself with Rivera.

Echagüe defeated him at Pago Largo, and as a result more than one thousand enemy soldiers were killed, among them Berón de Astrada.

After a short period, when it is not known where he lived – there are several versions that he might have travelled to Europe along with Rosas, and that both of them had met with Pope Pius IX[1][2] – he took refuge in Montevideo.

Served as interim Minister of War during the administration of President Santiago Derqui and retired to Entre Ríos after the Battle of Pavón.