Argentina

Argentina is the second largest country in South America with a population of 39,144,753. Although the official language is Spanish,Italian culture influences the food, music, and traditions of Argentina, making it unique from other South American countries. Significant numbers of Spanish, Basque, Irish, German, British, mestizo, and other ethnic groups also influence Argentina's cosmopolitan and multicultural society.

Argentina is a republic, declaring its independence from Spain's dominion in 1816. A bright yellow sun with a human face sits in the center of the light blue and white stripes of equal width that make up its flag. Argentina's native population was greatly diminished after 1502 when the Europeans imposed their class system of guaranteed privilege to the rich. With only 1% of the population controlling70% of the land, the Argentinean economy relied heavily on export of grain and beef. The political system was also controlled by the rich, led by a succession of presidential, military, and civilian governments.

In 1943, a member of the military, which was in power at the time, staged a coup against his own generals to become one of the most memorable presidents for the common people. Juan Peron took leadership among the labor unions of Argentina and was the champion of the working-class people, as was his second wife, Eva. A member of the working class, Eva (affectionately called “Evita”) was known for her flamboyant style as well as her extreme generosity and service to the general public. The Peron legacy ended when the economy went sour, Evita died of cancer, and the military again took power.

In the 1960s, the military leadership gripped Argentina with a rule of political violence, responding to armed leftist guerrilla challenges. Ernesto “Che” Gueverra, a martyred leftist revolutionary, emerged as a prominent figure in Argentinean history and folklore during this time. Gueverra was a comrade of Fidel Castro and fought to spread Marxist ideas in Argentina. In response to political opposition, the military declared a state of internal war, known the world over as the “Dirty War,” in which approximately 6,000 citizens disappeared between 1976 and 1982. Suspected leftists and members of their families were tortured, raped, and brutally murdered. This had the effect of all but destroying labor unions and any other forms of political organization, that is, except for the Madres (mothers) of the Plaza de Mayo, who met every week in front of the capital in Buenos Aires to protest the kidnapping of their family members and to demand their release. As a result of the actions of the Madres and other human right's groups, Argentines have effectively pressured [Page 273]the government to reform its structure. And while its torrid past generates little confidence in democratic processes, Argentina now has a democratically elected president. Elected in 2003, Nestor Kirchner addressed the corruption of the supreme court and the federal police. Members were impeached, dismissed, or retired.

Source: © Photo byPhilipDouglis,The Douglis Visual Workshops.

Argentina's economy has long suffered from rising inflation and a skyrocketing deficit. Argentina owes over $21 billion to multilateral institutions. In opposition to dominant global economic influences, including the United States, Kirchner refuses to refinance the debt in terms defined by the International Monetary Fund. Priorities are focused on stabilizing the Argentine peso, reducing the high rates of unemployment, investing in agricultural productivity, stabilizing internal markets, addressing high crime rates, reducing inflation, and securing trade relationships with Brazil.

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