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Why did Rome give Scipio Africanus military command in Spain in 210 BCE?

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Scipio Africanus Silver coin from Carthago Nova, believed to be a portrait of Scipio Africanus the Elder; in the Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, National Museum, Copenhagen.

In 210 BCE, Rome faced a critical situation in Spain following the deaths of Publius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Gnaeus, who had been killed in battle against the Carthaginians in 211 BCE.123

When the Romans decided to send reinforcements to the region, it is reported that no senior general was willing to undertake the difficult task. In this vacuum of leadership, the young Scipio—son of the fallen Publius—offered himself as a candidate. The Roman people subsequently invested him with military command, creating a significant constitutional precedent because he was technically a privatus (not a magistrate) and had not previously held the rank of praetor or consul.1

Scipio was granted this command with the hope that he could avenge his family, prevent the Carthaginians from sending reinforcements to Hannibal in Italy, and ultimately drive the enemy out of the Iberian Peninsula.13