Juan Perón

An Argentine Icon

Early Career

Entered military at 16

Served as military observer in Europe in 1938

Became familiar with Fascist Italy and Benito

Mussolini

Colonel Perón a participant in a military coup

d’état in 1943

Becomes Sec. of Labor where he develops alliances

with socialists and labor unions

Promotes labor laws to strengthen unions – popular

with workers

Rising Popularity

Fund raising efforts after major earthquake

led to public approval and introduction to

second wife, Eva Duarte

Rivalry among military officers and Perón

(Vice Pres. at the time) led to arrest and

brief imprisonment

Mass protests led by Eva won his freedom

They were married days after release

Wedding to Evita in 1945

Peron on cover of Labor

Union newsletter - 1945

1st Term – 1946-1952

Won with huge support of organized labor

Would have permanent opposition of big

business

2 main goals

Social justice

Economic independence

Carefully avoided aligning with U.S. or

U.S.S.R. in early Cold War

Economic Nationalized banks, railroads, shipping, etc.

owned by foreign nations

Paid off foreign debts

National control of universities, public utilities,

transportation, major agricultural export sectors

Saw some major advances before inflation

struck in 1950s.

Ironically, Marshall Plan that helped Europe

undermined Argentine markets that had opened

after the war

Second Term 1952-1955

Faced economic troubles including high

trade deficits with foreign investors

Highest standard of living in Latin America

led foreign manufacturers, especially auto

makers, to build plants in Argentina

Many saw Perón as unpatriotic for

allowing so much foreign investment

Controversial Reforms Legalized divorce and prostitution

Drew anger of conservative elements

Pope Pius XII excommunicated Perón from

Catholic Church

After death of Evita, he reportedly had relationship

with 13-year-old girl – did not deny it

Regime’s control of media suppressed critics

Charges that he was a dictator grew

A coup attempt drove him to exile in Spain and

resulted in the death of over 800 civilians

Scene in the Plaza de Mayo

following a failed coup attempt

against Perón, June 16, 1955. He

was deposed three months later.

Repression of Opposition

Upper class students vocal in opposition to

Peronists – resulted in mass firing of university

professors

“Long Live Cancer” – student chant – referring to

Eva’s battle with cervical cancer

Meat Packer Union leader Cipriano Reyes

tortured in prison after organizing an anti-Perón

strike

Was implicated in plot to kill Perón

Torture by police national police became common

Media Control

Perón preferred control of media over torturing

opposition

Intimidation of press

110 publications closed down during 40s alone

Caused remaining outlets to self-censor

Perón imprisoned or exiled numerous artists

and intellectuals

Including actors, film makers, musicians who ran

afoul of Perón

Protection of Nazi War Criminals Nazis, collaborators permitted to enter

Argentina to escape prosecution

Including Josef Mengele (Auschwitz “doctor,”)

Adolf Eichmann (architect of Holocaust), Klaus

Barbie (butcher of Lyon – Gestapo)

Secret routing of Nazis to Argentina called the

“ratline”

Nazi hunters focused on Argentina for years

Perón an admirer of Fascist Italy and Spain

Jews and Germans in Argentina

Perón not anti-Semitic

Close advisors included many Jews including many

who had fled from Nazi dominated Europe

Argentina first Latin American country to

recognize new state of Israel

Secured trade deals and visits from prominent

Israeli leaders

Accepted more Jewish immigrants than any other

Latin American country

Perón had sympathized with Axis during war

but believed in the rights of the Jews

Golda Meir of Israel talks with Evita Perón on

Meir's visit to Argentina, 1951

Germans in Argentina

German Argentine community 3rd largest

in the country

Perón generally disliked “rigid” German

culture

He allowed Nazi criminals into Argentina in

hopes of acquiring advanced German

technology developed during the war

Peronist Persistence During Perón’s exile, political supporters

continued to keep his chances of return alive

Divisions between Left and Right, some of it

violent

Perón returned during presidency of a

supporter whose unpopularity led to resignation

and a new election

Perón won a third term that was marred by left-

right conflict

He died while in office after several major

health issues, ultimately by heart attack