JUAN DOMINGO PERÓN

" The greatest Latin American Leader of the 20th century "

Phalanx Press

President of Argentina from 1946 to 1955 and again from 1973to 1974, the greatest Latin American leader of the 20th century, who wrought long-lasting changes in the nation's politics and social services. A friend of the poor hardworking masses and unashamedly nationalistic.

Born in Lobos , which means Wolves, Buenos Aires Province on October 08th, 1895. He was the son of a wealthy rancher. Perón was educated at the Colegio Militar from 1911 to 1913 and at the Escuela Superior de Guerra from 1926 to 1929. In 1930 he took part in a military uprising against President Hipólito Irigoyen and served as private secretary of the minister of war from 1930 to 1935. He later taught at the Escuela Superior de Guerra, with the rank of Colonel he spent a year in Chile as military attaché, published five books on military history, and traveled to Mussolini's Fascist Italy to study alpine military methods and tactics. While there, he also studied Fascism and began to wonder if something like that could work in his country.

Upon his return to Argentina in 1941, Perón joined other officers in a secret military group that staged a coup d'état in June 1943. He took over the department of labor and proceeded to transform the labor movement by weakening the influence of left-wing parties on it, enacting new laws and implementing old ones, and creating new syndicates to replace the unions. Perón was made vice president and minister of war in 1944. As his power grew, opposition within the armed forces became widespread. On October 9, 1945, he was forced to resign from his three posts and was imprisoned. Perón's resignation triggered a government crisis that was resolved on October 17, when his labor supporters obtained his release. Four days later, Perón, a widower, married Mariá Eva Duarte, who became fondly known as Evita.

In 1945 a new political group emerged in Argentina, with its main support among the most depressed sections of the agricultural and industrial working class. Called the Peronistas, the group supported Perón as its candidate for the presidency. The Peronistas campaigned among members of the working class, which were popularly known as Los Descamisados (Spanish for "shirtless ones," implying that they did not wear suitcoats like the middle class). The elections, held in February 1946 resulted in a decisive victory for Perón. As president, Perón pursued pro-Labor, pro-Nationalist policies, helped by Evita, who became an influential, although informal, member of his government.

In the early 1950s, benefits to labor began to diminish through no fault of Perón's. The death of Evita in 1952, economic difficulties, increasing labor unrest, and his excommunication by the Roman Catholic Church, there are stories he later reconciled with the church, further weakened Perón's position; in 1955 the military again ousted his government. Throughout 18 years of exile, however, Perón retained his labor support and influence in Argentine politics. He was finally allowed to return to Argentina in 1973 and was again elected president, with his third wife, Isabel de Perón, as vice president. He died in office on July 1, 1974. Though he died over 34 years ago his movement lives on in Argentina and he will always live on in the hearts of his people as the greatest leader their country ever had.

01 Dec 2002