Monthly Archives: November 2017

Week 12- Truth to Power

I am very interested in the way that the media was used during the times of the War on Drugs or the disappearance of the children for the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo  or the Aguas Blancas Massacre,  which I think is something Dawson explores as well.

To begin with, it is interesting that the documents this week were mostly videos, which in itself prompted me to ask what role does the media play when there is political and social injustice in a country?

In the case of the War on Drugs, the media has played to both parties because there was a heavy amount of propaganda used by the USA government to make the cause seem worthy, but a lot of media has come out recently highlighting what a colosal waste of money the initiative was. For the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, the media was seen as the only ‘way out’ of the corruption of Argentina by the mothers of children who were never to return, yet no one would help. Finally, in the case of the Aguas Blancas Massacre, the media put a spotlight to the corruption and outright lies from the Mexican police and was the conduit that led to the opening of a Human Rights investigation.

This of course is all very interesting, but how can media interest people about issues that they don’t care about? How many North American or European youth, outside of classes like LAST 100, are aware of the massacres  in Latin America? Personally, I think that this chapter and week most specifically highlight the responsibility that we ALL have in caring about issues that take place right under out noses and that ‘historic’ events have impacted people that are very much alive today, so they are not historic at all.

“Power to the People” Research

For one of my group’s sources on “Power to the People”, I have chosen:

Plotkin, Mariano Ben. 2002. Mañana es San Perón: A cultural history of Peron’s Argentina. Wilmington, Del: Scholarly Resources.

This book goes beyond the exploration of the political tools and manipulation used by Peron’s populist government and looks into the social and propagandist aspects of his party. Although our group will most definitely look into the charismatic nature of Juan and Eva Peron and their political success’ dependency on their relatability  and charisma, this book looks into the ways in which their government propelled the mass mobilization of people with Peronist ideas and social structures and institutions. This book examines the divisive dynamics of the “us and them”, which will also be researched by our group, but looks further into the way the division allowed for the reinforcement of Peronism social ideas.

The success of Peronism was due in part to its integration into people’s everyday lives. Peronist ideals were integrated into the public school system, as well as into statutory holidays, and into social groups geared towards women, youth and the less privileged in society. Plotkin focuses on media tools that were massively used by this government as well as the social pressure created to have people follow them. Argentina became a country in which your political allegiance would highly influence your academic and career opportunities due in part to the social culture of Peronism.

It is undisputed that Juan and Eva Peron are probably the most well-known Argentine political figures throughout the world today. It is also definitely worth researching that Juan Peron brought issues like rights for women, children and workers into the Argentine elite’s scope of vision, which no political leader had ever done before. Due to their very divisive following, Plotkin looks into the air of romanticism and mysticism that followed this couple well through Eva’s death and continues on until this day. It is this legacy, that will also be explored, that has made room for a book like Plotkin’s to be researched; looking into the deeper social fissures as well as bonding that came out of Peron’s populist governments.

I believe that Plotkin’s book is extremely beneficial for my group’s research of populism in Latin America because it focuses on the social sphere of a very politically dense subject. Aside from making it more understandable and relatable to its audience, Plotkin also highlights the manipulation that did take place during Peron’s governments, which mostly occurred because his populist ideas were internalized by a large part of the Argentine population.

Week 10: Power to the People

Unfortunately, as an Argentine-born, this is a topic that I can say very little about from an objective and untainted point of view.

A couple of things that are worth noting about the Peron’s but primarily about Evita is that she is STILL romanticized and adored today. Many people make the ‘pilgrimage’ to her family’s mausoleum in the elite and illustrious Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires (worth the trip if you’re down there- see picture attached). The mausoleum is still decorated with flowers from visitors and tour guides make a point of telling you the Duarte’s are buried there. She is also on both sides of the Health Administration building of Buenos Aires. It is said that she is ‘speaking to the people’ facing the North of the city, where the wealthier part of the city is and she is smiling to ‘her people’ to the South of the city. This building is in the smack middle of downtown Buenos Aires in the middle of the second-widest avenue in the world, 9 de Julio.

As for the documents this week, I think they really highlight just how varied versions of the same ‘scene’ can be. We will probably never know verbatim what was said during her speech, but it is clearly not for a lack of trying. I believe that no one runs for or marries into politics if they do not want some sort of attention from it, whether it be to get recognition for themselves or the causes they claim to represent.

I think the whole conversation we had in class about ‘heroes’ is really pertinent to his discussion about populism and Eva and Juan Peron. It was said that heroes are often considered heroes because they die before they can be considered anything else. I believe that is exactly what happened to Evita. She died in such a devastating and dramatic way, gave her final speech before the nation while needing to be held up by Juan, and the mysticism around her embalmed body allowed for her to never become anything else but a national hero (for some).

Juan on the other hand, got to live quite a contradictory life that became highly scrutinized simply because he lived longer…and because he really was a living contradiction.  However, I wonder what would have happened with Evita’s reputation if she had not died in such a tragic and publicized manner? Would the Peron’s live on to be just another President and First Lady of Argentina? Would their corrupt actions be swept under the rug (like so many before and after them-regardless of Party) and just become the Argentine norm?