The Independence of Uruguay was the process by which the Uruguayan territory, known then as the Eastern Band of the Río de la Plata, became independent from the Spanish Crown. This process began on February 28, 1811 with the Cry of Asencio.

The principles of centralization and decentralization are more or less two sides of the same coin. While centralization holds that it is possible to improve administrative effectiveness by concentrating decision-making in one coordinating body, decentralization, on the other hand, states that decision-making can only be enhanced by delegating decision-making to lower level governments of subordinate units.